The Food Professor

Join us on this captivating episode as we delve into the inspiring journey of Shivani's Kitchen, a thriving Indian cuisine business in Nova Scotia. Discover Shivani Dhamija's motivations, their secret to preserving authenticity while based in Canada, overcoming challenges faced during growth, and fascinating anecdotes of product development.In the news, we look at consumer perceptions around AI & food with research from our friends at Caddle, the state of Farmer's Markets and if there is an opportunity to rebrand them, as well as the impending death of the QR code in restaurants, and a Nigerian chef that pulls a long record shift, not unlike a Canadian chef doing dinner service Saturday night through Sunday brunch and a fight over Taco Tuesday!Note: all images, except Shivani, were created by https://openai.com/product/dall-e-2 About ShivaniI am Shivani founder of Shivani’s Kitchen Ltd., female-owned and led food processing company located in Nova Scotia, Canada. We make it easy for consumers to experience the bold, authentic flavors of India. We create authentic Indian spice blends and ready-to-use sauces to satisfy food cravings and cooking experiences. I recently won(IWEN)Entrepreneur of the year 2020 by ISANS DEAM award by Team Works.sobeys local award of Innovation 2020CBDC Business distinction award 2021Most Inspiring Immigrant Award Atlantic Canada 2022I moved to Nova Scotia in 2011 to be with her partner Abhishek Asthana. Started from meal delivering services to cooking classes and by understanding our customers, and sensing a need we launched our Spice Blends in 2016. We initially started with our Garam Masala Spice Blend in hexagonal bottles with self-printed labels. Going wholesale and being able to bring the authentic experience of Indian flavors to more people had been Shivani's focus for a while. Shivani's Kitchen Spices launched on the shelves of Pete's Frootique & Fine Foods in 2016, and launched on the shelves of Sobeys in 2019!And today we supply our spices and sauces to superstore, sobeys and sysco.Please connect with us if you would like to have our products on the shelves of your stores.About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor in food distribution and policy in the Faculties of Management and Agriculture at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Before joining Dalhousie, he was affiliated with the University of Guelph’s Arrell Food Institute, which he co-founded. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. Google Scholar ranks him as one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability.He has authored five books on global food systems, his most recent one published in 2017 by Wiley-Blackwell entitled “Food Safety, Risk Intelligence and Benchmarking”. He has also published over 500 peer-reviewed journal articles in several academic publications. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, including The Lancet, The Economist, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, BBC, NBC, ABC, Fox News, Foreign Affairs, the Globe & Mail, the National Post and the Toronto Star.Dr. Charlebois sits on a few company boards, and supports many organizations as a special advisor, including some publicly traded companies. Charlebois is also a member of the Scientific Council of the Business Scientific Institute, based in Luxemburg. Dr. Charlebois is a member of the Global Food Traceability Centre’s Advisory Board based in Washington DC, and a member of the National Scientific Committee of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in Ottawa. About MichaelMichael is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc. and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada and the Bank of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, Today's Shopping Choice and Pandora Jewellery. Michael has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. He has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions with C-level executives and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels. ReThink Retail has added Michael to their prestigious Top Global Retail Influencers list for 2023 for the third year in a row. Michael is also the president of Maven Media, producing a network of leading trade podcasts, including Remarkable Retail , with best-selling author Steve Dennis, now ranked one of the top retail podcasts in the world. Based in San Francisco, Global eCommerce Leaders podcast explores global cross-border issues and opportunities for eCommerce brands and retailers. Last but not least, Michael is the producer and host of the "Last Request Barbeque" channel on Y

Our guest on this episode, recorded live at the Toronto SIAL food innovation conference, is Vince Sgabellone, Foodservice Industry Analyst at Circana. Vince emphasizes the resilience and adaptability of the industry during the COVID-19 pandemic, noting how quickly businesses reinvented themselves by offering off-premises services and embracing digital engagement. We also discuss the challenges restaurants face in dealing with higher costs and labour shortages and the need for automation and streamlined operations. Looking to the future, they highlight the importance of engaging with the younger generation, who are digitally savvy and have diverse culinary preferences. The guest concludes by mentioning the growing interest of retail companies in the food service industry, given its significant share of consumer spending.In food industry-related news, we discuss "Cold War II" and food geopolitics, focusing on China and Canadian agriculture. Next, we talk about the story behind Tyson Foods' financial loss in the last quarter, with $13.1 billion worth of sales resulting in a loss of $0.28 per share. As the Victoria Day weekend approaches, the podcast dives into the start of BBQ season, what to expect, and what the significant trends are on the grill. The episode concludes by congratulating Kelly Higginson on her new and improved gig as the new President and CEO of Restaurants Canada. Having previously served as the organization's Chief Operating Officer, Higginson's appointment brings anticipation for success and stability, aiming for a longer tenure than her predecessors.Tune in to The Food Professor podcast to explore the world of food innovation, industry news, and expert interviews. Lobster trap Photo by John McArthur on UnsplashAbout VinceFood has always been in my blood. My passion for food started in my Mom’s Italian kitchen where she shared with me her love of cooking. All of our family photos from my childhood seemed to have food in them, so I guess we were instagramming long before that was a thing. To this day, I still enjoy cooking alongside my Mom and I’m still learning. But I still haven’t figured out how to master her infamous meatball recipe. Fast forward to the start of my food career where I found myself supplying professional kitchens, learning the business side of food from some of the finest chefs and restaurateurs in Ottawa. As my career progressed, I was able to expand my horizons beyond my Italian roots to include an understanding of cuisines from around the world. My passion for the business was a valuable asset as I worked hard to help my clients achieve their goals. Today, as a Director, Client Development and Foodservice Industry Analyst at The NPD Group, I use data and consumer behaviour analytics to help some of the industry’s best known global food brands solve problems and identify growth opportunities. I take pride knowing that my passion for food, combined with my experience, allow me to deliver insights that will help you to make better business decisions. I am available to serve as a media source on topics of food and beverage consumption, and their impact on the foodservice industry. My comments and analysis have appeared in the Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, The CBC, and other national media outlets. I also appear as a featured speaker at industry events and corporate conferences. About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor in food distribution and policy in the Faculties of Management and Agriculture at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Before joining Dalhousie, he was affiliated with the University of Guelph’s Arrell Food Institute, which he co-founded. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. Google Scholar ranks him as one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability.He has authored five books on global food systems, his most recent one published in 2017 by Wiley-Blackwell entitled “Food Safety, Risk Intelligence and Benchmarking”. He has also published over 500 peer-reviewed journal articles in several academic publications. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, including The Lancet, The Economist, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, BBC, NBC, ABC, Fox News, Foreign Affairs, the Globe & Mail, the National Post and the Toronto Star.Dr. Charlebois sits on a few company boards, and supports many organizations as a special advisor, including some publicly traded companies. Charlebois is also a member of the Scientific Council of the Business Scientific Institute, based in Luxemburg. Dr. Charlebois is a member of the Global Food Traceability Centre’s Advisory Board based in Washington DC, and a member of the National Scientific Committee of the

Live from the tradeshow floor of the SIAL food innovation show in Toronto. Our exceptional guest is Quebec Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food André Lamontagne, who pays us a visit to our bespoke podcasting studio in Toronto. We talk with the Minister about food innovation in the Province and the government's best role in moving the industry forward for the people and hand out magic wands to discover the art of the possible.In food news, we talk about the wisdom and regulation of Gene editing with Crisper, backyard chickens and the avian flu, AI's bright outlook until it maybe kills us all, and the somewhat surprising resilience of restaurant home delivery post-pandemic. Backyard chicken Photo by amy lynn grover on UnsplashAbout Minister LamontagneBorn in Saint-Félicien in 1960, André Lamontagne earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Université Laval. He has also completed training in counselling, psychotherapy and transactional analysis at the Eastwind Institute in Halifax. He holds a master’s degree in educational psychology and human relations from Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax, and also has a commercial helicopter pilot license.Before going into politics, Mr. Lamontagne had a career in business. He owned three supermarkets, co-owned a network of 20 travel agencies across multiple regions of Quebec, served as president and co-owner of a management consulting firm, and owned a company specializing in helicopter purchase, reconditioning, resale and rental. He has also worked as a consultant and coach for executive clients, primarily in the business community. Over the years, he has been an investor and director at many technology companies in the manufacturing, e-commerce and industrial sectors.In 2014, Mr. Lamontagne made the switch to politics when he was elected MNA for the electoral district of Johnson under the banner of Coalition Avenir Québec. He continued in this role when he was reelected in 2018. After his reelection, the Premier appointed him Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and Minister Responsible for the Centre-du-Québec Region. He was reconducted Minister in 2022.About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor in food distribution and policy in the Faculties of Management and Agriculture at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Before joining Dalhousie, he was affiliated with the University of Guelph’s Arrell Food Institute, which he co-founded. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. Google Scholar ranks him as one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability.He has authored five books on global food systems, his most recent one published in 2017 by Wiley-Blackwell entitled “Food Safety, Risk Intelligence and Benchmarking”. He has also published over 500 peer-reviewed journal articles in several academic publications. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, including The Lancet, The Economist, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, BBC, NBC, ABC, Fox News, Foreign Affairs, the Globe & Mail, the National Post and the Toronto Star.Dr. Charlebois sits on a few company boards, and supports many organizations as a special advisor, including some publicly traded companies. Charlebois is also a member of the Scientific Council of the Business Scientific Institute, based in Luxemburg. Dr. Charlebois is a member of the Global Food Traceability Centre’s Advisory Board based in Washington DC, and a member of the National Scientific Committee of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in Ottawa. About MichaelMichael is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc. and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada and the Bank of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, Today's Shopping Choice and Pandora Jewellery. Michael has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. He has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions with C-level executives and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels. ReThink Retail has added Michael to their prestigious Top Global Retail Influencers list for 2023 for the third year in a row. Michael is also the president of Maven Media, producing a network of leading trade podcasts, including Remarkable Retail , with best-selling author Steve Dennis, now ranked one of the top retail podcasts in the world. Based in San Francisco, Global eCommerce Leaders podcast explores global cross-border issues and opportunities for eCommerce brands and retailers. Last but not least, Michael is the producer and host of the "Last Reques

In this episode, we have a fast-moving and fascinating interview with the one and only Dickson Delorme, also known as Quick Dick McDick, a farmer from Saskatchewan with a popular YouTube channel with over 12 million views and over one hundred thousand subscribers. We talk to Dickson about his farming experience, the challenges he has faced, and the lessons he has learned. We also discuss the impact of technology on farming and the future of innovation in the industry. Dickson shares how he balances humour, politics, and education on his YouTube channel and advises those interested in starting a successful channel in the agriculture or food industry. The hosts also touch on current news, including the resolution of the PSAC strike, Remilk's product approval in Israel, the potential payoff from Dairy Farmers of Canada's sponsorship of the Toronto Maple Leafs, the fight over squeeze bottle Spanish olive oil and somewhat mysterious changing consumer spending habits.About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor in food distribution and policy in the Faculties of Management and Agriculture at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Before joining Dalhousie, he was affiliated with the University of Guelph’s Arrell Food Institute, which he co-founded. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. Google Scholar ranks him as one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability.He has authored five books on global food systems, his most recent one published in 2017 by Wiley-Blackwell entitled “Food Safety, Risk Intelligence and Benchmarking”. He has also published over 500 peer-reviewed journal articles in several academic publications. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, including The Lancet, The Economist, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, BBC, NBC, ABC, Fox News, Foreign Affairs, the Globe & Mail, the National Post and the Toronto Star.Dr. Charlebois sits on a few company boards, and supports many organizations as a special advisor, including some publicly traded companies. Charlebois is also a member of the Scientific Council of the Business Scientific Institute, based in Luxemburg. Dr. Charlebois is a member of the Global Food Traceability Centre’s Advisory Board based in Washington DC, and a member of the National Scientific Committee of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in Ottawa. About MichaelMichael is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc. and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada and the Bank of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, Today's Shopping Choice and Pandora Jewellery. Michael has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. He has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions with C-level executives and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels. ReThink Retail has added Michael to their prestigious Top Global Retail Influencers list for 2023 for the third year in a row. Michael is also the president of Maven Media, producing a network of leading trade podcasts, including Remarkable Retail , with best-selling author Steve Dennis, now ranked one of the top retail podcasts in the world. Based in San Francisco, Global eCommerce Leaders podcast explores global cross-border issues and opportunities for eCommerce brands and retailers. Last but not least, Michael is the producer and host of the "Last Request Barbeque" channel on YouTube, where he cooks meals to die for - and collaborates with top brands as a food and product influencer across North America About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Visiting Professor in Food Policy and Distribution at McGill University and a Professor in Food Distribution and Policy in the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University.Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. He is one of the world’s most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability with over 775 published peer-reviewed journal articles. Dr. Charlebois is also an editor for the prestigious Trends in Food Science Technology journal. He co-hosts The Food Professor podcast, discussing issues in the food, foodservice, grocery and restaurant industries and which is the most listened Canadian management podcast in Canada. Every year since 2012, he has published the now highly anticipated Canadian Food Price Report, which provides an overvi

Welcome to The Food Professor podcast Season Three, episode 22, with your host Michael LeBlanc coming to you from Barcelona, where he’s attending the World Retail Congress. Michael is joined by Sylvain and special guest Colleen Martin, Chief Revenue Officer at Caddle, who is here to discuss a custom study commissioned by the lab, which is all about plant-based foods and beverages and the latest consumer insights.In this episode, Michael and Sylvain bring you the latest news from the agri-food industry, including the PSAC strike and its implications, food inflation numbers for March, and an article in the New Republic that explores the lobbying battle between big ag and lab-grown meat.Later, the focus shifts to plant-based foods and beverages, and Colleen shares some valuable insights from the custom study commissioned by the lab. We discuss the rising popularity of plant-based options, the factors driving consumer preferences, and how brands can appeal to this growing market.Before wrapping up, Michael reminds listeners that The Food Professor podcast will be at the SIAL food innovation show in Toronto from May 9-11th as the official podcast of the event. So, be sure to stop by their podcast studio and say hi!And finally, they end the episode by discussing the new Oatly website, which chronicles every bad thing that has ever been said about them and plant-based beverages. It’s an exciting approach to transparency and shows how brands adapt to consumer demands for ethical and sustainable products.Don’t miss this exciting episode of The Food Professor podcast.About ColleenColleen Martin is the Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) at Caddle and is passionate about customer-centric retail, marketing strategies, and omnichannel retail technology. Colleen has been working in the Retail industry for close to 25 years with a proven track record in growing businesses by providing strategic direction and leadership to merchandising and marketing teams. You can connect on LinkedIn or at [email protected]. About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor in food distribution and policy in the Faculties of Management and Agriculture at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Before joining Dalhousie, he was affiliated with the University of Guelph’s Arrell Food Institute, which he co-founded. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. Google Scholar ranks him as one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability.He has authored five books on global food systems, his most recent one published in 2017 by Wiley-Blackwell entitled “Food Safety, Risk Intelligence and Benchmarking”. He has also published over 500 peer-reviewed journal articles in several academic publications. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, including The Lancet, The Economist, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, BBC, NBC, ABC, Fox News, Foreign Affairs, the Globe & Mail, the National Post and the Toronto Star.Dr. Charlebois sits on a few company boards, and supports many organizations as a special advisor, including some publicly traded companies. Charlebois is also a member of the Scientific Council of the Business Scientific Institute, based in Luxemburg. Dr. Charlebois is a member of the Global Food Traceability Centre’s Advisory Board based in Washington DC, and a member of the National Scientific Committee of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in Ottawa. About MichaelMichael is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc. and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada and the Bank of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, Today's Shopping Choice and Pandora Jewellery. Michael has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. He has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions with C-level executives and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels. ReThink Retail has added Michael to their prestigious Top Global Retail Influencers list for 2023 for the third year in a row. Michael is also the president of Maven Media, producing a network of leading trade podcasts, including Remarkable Retail , with best-selling author Steve Dennis, now ranked one of the top retail podcasts in the world. Based in San Francisco, Global eCommerce Leaders podcast explores global cross-border issues and opportunities for eCommerce brands and retailers. Last but not least, Michael is the producer and host of the "Last Request Barbeque" channel on YouTube, where he cooks meals to die for - and collaborates with top brands as a food and product influencer across No

On our first solo episode of the season, Sylvain and I are together live in person for a wide-ranging conversation, starting with China cloning super dairy cows to 18,000 dairy cows perishing at South Fork Dairy in Texas and celebrating cannabis 4-20. China claims they have cloned super cows, and we talk about Olymel's plant closure and what it means to the people in Quebec and Canada's hog industry. The Competition Bureau has published its Annual Plan, so we discuss the merits of their work; April 22 is Earth Day. Should we still care about that one day? Mcdonald's is updating their Big Mac, and this week is 4-20, a high holiday amongst the cannabis community - we talk about Sylvain's assessment of the industry from an agriculture crop perspective. Lastly, we celebrate Sylvain's new media gig with Quebec and probably Canada's, most watch morning show, TVA's Salut, Bonjour.A reminder that we'll be in person together again pretty soon at the SIAL food innovation show in Toronto, May 9-11th. We're the show's official podcast, so be sure and stop by the fishbowl and say hi! About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor in food distribution and policy in the Faculties of Management and Agriculture at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Before joining Dalhousie, he was affiliated with the University of Guelph’s Arrell Food Institute, which he co-founded. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. Google Scholar ranks him as one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability.He has authored five books on global food systems, his most recent one published in 2017 by Wiley-Blackwell entitled “Food Safety, Risk Intelligence and Benchmarking”. He has also published over 500 peer-reviewed journal articles in several academic publications. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, including The Lancet, The Economist, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, BBC, NBC, ABC, Fox News, Foreign Affairs, the Globe & Mail, the National Post and the Toronto Star.Dr. Charlebois sits on a few company boards, and supports many organizations as a special advisor, including some publicly traded companies. Charlebois is also a member of the Scientific Council of the Business Scientific Institute, based in Luxemburg. Dr. Charlebois is a member of the Global Food Traceability Centre’s Advisory Board based in Washington DC, and a member of the National Scientific Committee of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in Ottawa. About MichaelMichael is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc. and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada and the Bank of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, Today's Shopping Choice and Pandora Jewellery. Michael has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. He has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions with C-level executives and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels. ReThink Retail has added Michael to their prestigious Top Global Retail Influencers list for 2023 for the third year in a row. Michael is also the president of Maven Media, producing a network of leading trade podcasts, including Remarkable Retail , with best-selling author Steve Dennis, now ranked one of the top retail podcasts in the world. Based in San Francisco, Global eCommerce Leaders podcast explores global cross-border issues and opportunities for eCommerce brands and retailers. Last but not least, Michael is the producer and host of the "Last Request Barbeque" channel on YouTube, where he cooks meals to die for - and collaborates with top brands as a food and product influencer across North America About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Visiting Professor in Food Policy and Distribution at McGill University and a Professor in Food Distribution and Policy in the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University.Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. He is one of the world’s most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability with over 775 published peer-reviewed journal articles. Dr. Charlebois is also an editor for the prestigious Trends in Food Science Technology journal. He co-hosts The Food Professor podcast, discussing issues in the food, foodservice, grocery and restaurant industries and which is the most listened Canadian management podcast in Canada. Every y

On this episode, we chat with the dynamic Katie Hotze, CEO of Grocery Shopii, a Top 10 Women in Grocery Tech, with her grocery industry eCommerce application solving a $550B problem in the CPG & Retail industry by reducing cart abandonment with machine learning.In the news, the Inflation Cookbook: Canada’s first-ever AI-powered meal-planning tool designed to help Canadians source affordable and nutritious food items and maximize their weekly grocery budgets. The tool tracks the top ten food items trending upwards and downwards in price each week and uses the power of AI to curate seven healthy recipes that consumers can create using the best-priced items from that week. Next, we talk about a new report that is a collaboration with RBC, BCG Centre for Canada’s Future and Arrell Food Institute at the University of Guelph that finds by 2033, 40% of Canadian farm operators will retire, placing agriculture on the cusp of one of the most significant labour and leadership transitions in the country’s history. We also talk about the lobster industry in Canada and lobster politics, the Blue Jays home opener with hopefully new food offerings - Rogers Centre ranks 25th in MLB as the best place to have food, and the most reputable companies in Canada, by Leger: Shoppers, Costco and Dollorama make the Top 10.About KatieNamed a Top 10 Women in Grocery Tech by RIS, Katie Hotze is an innovative leader and entrepreneur with over two decades of experience in digital marketing, data analytics and business strategy. Katie is the founder and CEO of Grocery Shopii, a Charlotte-based startup that solves a $550B problem in the CPG & Retail industry by reducing cart abandonment with machine learning. Grocery Shopii uses recipes as a recommendation engine to expedite online grocery shopping inside the shopping journey.Prior to Grocery Shopii, Katie spent 20 years in management and technology consulting where she led global marketing teams for Mercer, the world’s largest HR consultancy, and BearingPoint. She holds an M.B.A. and Business Analytics certification from William & Mary, and a B.S. in Marketing from Virginia Commonwealth University. In 2018, Katie was a Direct Marketing News (DMN) 40-Under-40 Award Recipient. She’s also been awarded the Top Women in Grocery honor by Progressive Grocer. Today, she is a regular speaker on both digital and social media topics at conferences in the marketing and grocery retail spaces.A resident of Charlotte, N.C., Katie is a graduate of UNC-Charlotte’s Ventureprise entrepreneurial program and is an active participant in the city’s tech community. About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor in food distribution and policy in the Faculties of Management and Agriculture at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Before joining Dalhousie, he was affiliated with the University of Guelph’s Arrell Food Institute, which he co-founded. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. Google Scholar ranks him as one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability.He has authored five books on global food systems, his most recent one published in 2017 by Wiley-Blackwell entitled “Food Safety, Risk Intelligence and Benchmarking”. He has also published over 500 peer-reviewed journal articles in several academic publications. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, including The Lancet, The Economist, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, BBC, NBC, ABC, Fox News, Foreign Affairs, the Globe & Mail, the National Post and the Toronto Star.Dr. Charlebois sits on a few company boards, and supports many organizations as a special advisor, including some publicly traded companies. Charlebois is also a member of the Scientific Council of the Business Scientific Institute, based in Luxemburg. Dr. Charlebois is a member of the Global Food Traceability Centre’s Advisory Board based in Washington DC, and a member of the National Scientific Committee of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in Ottawa. About MichaelMichael is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc. and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada and the Bank of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, Today's Shopping Choice and Pandora Jewellery. Michael has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. He has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions with C-level executives and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels. ReThink Retail has added Michael to their prestigious Top Global Retail Influencers list for 2023 for the third year in a row.

Our special guest for this episode is the dynamic Jake Karls, Co-Founder & Rainmaker of Quebec-based Mid-Day Squares. Based in Montreal, Mid-Day Squares is changing the afternoon snack game, one chocolate square at a time. Founders Nick, Lezlie and her brother Jake have raised $21 million and sold over one million chocolate bars in just under 20 months, but it's been anything but a conventional product launch and a smooth ride to success.We cover the latest Federal Budget and what was in it for the food business and talk about the passing of Bill C-234, an Act to amend the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act, exempting on-farm use of the fuels from the carbon tax will save thousands of dollars for Canadian farmers who rely on natural gas and propane every day for their essential operations, which was adopted with 176 votes for and 146 against. Of particular note, the Canadian Agriculture Minister voted against the private member's bill, leaving many to wonder who has Farmer's back in Ottawa. We discuss the Agri-Food Analytics Lab's latest research on consumers perceptions of grocers, and lastly, we talk turkey or ham for Easter dinner, and speaking of meat, Eat Just's cultured meat product gets a vital letter from the U.S. FDA, but the cold shoulder in Italy. About JakeJake Karls is the co-founder and Chief Rainmaker at Mid-Day Squares. Building the next biggest chocolate snacking brand. As the Rainmaker, Jake focuses on achieving growth through the business of building genuine relationships – with investors, buyers, journalists, and building out the internal team. In Jake’s better-known role as Mid-Day Squares’s resident Social-Personality, he passionately inspires others to “get comfortable with the uncomfortable” and be unapologetically themselves. Though he was recognized as an EY Entrepreneur of the Year Finalist and named in the Forbes 30 Under 30 class of 2023, his self-proclaimed “greatest accomplishment” was learning how to be confident in himself. About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor in food distribution and policy in the Faculties of Management and Agriculture at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Before joining Dalhousie, he was affiliated with the University of Guelph’s Arrell Food Institute, which he co-founded. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. Google Scholar ranks him as one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability.He has authored five books on global food systems, his most recent one published in 2017 by Wiley-Blackwell entitled “Food Safety, Risk Intelligence and Benchmarking”. He has also published over 500 peer-reviewed journal articles in several academic publications. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, including The Lancet, The Economist, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, BBC, NBC, ABC, Fox News, Foreign Affairs, the Globe & Mail, the National Post and the Toronto Star.Dr. Charlebois sits on a few company boards, and supports many organizations as a special advisor, including some publicly traded companies. Charlebois is also a member of the Scientific Council of the Business Scientific Institute, based in Luxemburg. Dr. Charlebois is a member of the Global Food Traceability Centre’s Advisory Board based in Washington DC, and a member of the National Scientific Committee of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in Ottawa. About MichaelMichael is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc. and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada and the Bank of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, Today's Shopping Choice and Pandora Jewellery. Michael has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. He has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions with C-level executives and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels. ReThink Retail has added Michael to their prestigious Top Global Retail Influencers list for 2023 for the third year in a row. Michael is also the president of Maven Media, producing a network of leading trade podcasts, including Remarkable Retail , with best-selling author Steve Dennis, now ranked one of the top retail podcasts in the world. Based in San Francisco, Global eCommerce Leaders podcast explores global cross-border issues and opportunities for eCommerce brands and retailers. Last but not least, Michael is the producer and host of the "Last Request Barbeque" channel on YouTube, where he cooks meals to die for - and collaborates with top brands as a food and product influencer across North America. About UsDr. Sylvain Ch

In this episode, we are joined by a special guest, Barry Murchie, President & CEO of TruLeaf Sustainable Agriculture, to discuss his unique vertical farm business. TruLeaf's products are available in major grocers such as Loblaw, Sobeys, and Metro under the Good Leaf brand.We then jump into the news and discuss Sylvain's viral TikTok on snacks and taxes. Next, we discuss the global population growth issue and what it means for the food industry. We react to American President Biden's recent visit to Ottawa, welcomed with a chocolate bar from fried of the pod Tariq Hahad's Peace By Chocolate. The visit included a commitment of $420 million for Great Lakes environmental work, and Alberta beef served at dinner, with a Newfoundland Screech-inspired dessert.Next, we discuss California's challenges with floods and the impact on leafy green prices in Canada and Sylvain's upcoming meeting with the Competition Bureau as part of a study on the food industry. About BarryBarry Murchie has been President and CEO of TruLeaf Sustainable Farms and GoodLeaf Farms since June 2019. Barry was with McCain Foods for 25 years, his last position was VP Commercial Operations, North America. Barry joined McCain Foods in Tokyo, Japan in 1994 in a continuous improvement role focused on logistics. Barry transferred to McCain Argentina in 1997 to assist in the start-up of a new production facility and in the development of our grower programs. In 2000 Barry transferred to the Othello, Washington production facility to manage our export business into Asia. In 2001 Barry transferred to our US head office in Oakbrook, Illinois to manage our logistics unit. In 2003 Barry assumed responsibility for our Special Markets sales division, which handled K-12 schools, Deli, C-Stores and Industrial sales. In 2007 Barry transferred to Tokyo, Japan as Country Manager and in 2009 he also assumed responsibility for our South Korean business. In 2011 Barry transferred to Singapore as Managing Director of our business in Asia. In 2013 Barry transferred back to our US head office as VP Sysco Business Unit and in 2014 Barry transitioned to the role of VP Commercial Operations, North America. About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor in food distribution and policy in the Faculties of Management and Agriculture at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Before joining Dalhousie, he was affiliated with the University of Guelph’s Arrell Food Institute, which he co-founded. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. Google Scholar ranks him as one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability.He has authored five books on global food systems, his most recent one published in 2017 by Wiley-Blackwell entitled “Food Safety, Risk Intelligence and Benchmarking”. He has also published over 500 peer-reviewed journal articles in several academic publications. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, including The Lancet, The Economist, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, BBC, NBC, ABC, Fox News, Foreign Affairs, the Globe & Mail, the National Post and the Toronto Star.Dr. Charlebois sits on a few company boards, and supports many organizations as a special advisor, including some publicly traded companies. Charlebois is also a member of the Scientific Council of the Business Scientific Institute, based in Luxemburg. Dr. Charlebois is a member of the Global Food Traceability Centre’s Advisory Board based in Washington DC, and a member of the National Scientific Committee of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in Ottawa. About MichaelMichael is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc. and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada and the Bank of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, Today's Shopping Choice and Pandora Jewellery. Michael has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. He has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions with C-level executives and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels. ReThink Retail has added Michael to their prestigious Top Global Retail Influencers list for 2023 for the third year in a row. Michael is also the president of Maven Media, producing a network of leading trade podcasts, including Remarkable Retail , with best-selling author Steve Dennis, now ranked one of the top retail podcasts in the world. Based in San Francisco, Global eCommerce Leaders podcast explores global cross-border issues and opportunities for eCommerce brands and retailers. Last but not least, Michael is the producer and host of the "

Our special guest in this episode is Susan Krashinsky Robertson, Retail Reporter from The Globe & Mail, recently nominated for two National Newspaper Awards. Susan gives us an insiders look into her tradecraft as a reporter and how modern media approaches and crafts the narrative of a story. We delve into the unique aspects of reporting on the food and grocery industry. We solicit Susan's advice on best practices for retailers and brand owners in dealing with the media and what to avoid doing.But first, we discuss a range of news topics, including the Chinese-owned baby powder plant using Canadian dairy for export to China, the downsizing of ice cream tubs by major brands, a new survey on food affordability and political parties in Canada, and Alimentation Couche-Tard's $4.7B acquisition deal. The episode also includes updates on the Ukraine grain deal, Sobeys' cyberattack bill, the Buffalo Wild Wings lawsuit, and Kit Kat cereal's debut in the U.K. The episode concludes with news about Kellogg's snacking unit getting a new name. Grocery Customer Service ResearchAbout SusanSusan covers the retail industry for The Globe and Mail. Before joining The Globe in 2009, Susan worked as a freelance reporter contributing to the Ottawa Citizen, the Montreal Gazette and other publications, as well as CBC Radio. She has a Masters degree in journalism from Carleton University. In 2008 she worked at a radio station in Kigali, Rwanda as part of a media development project through Carleton. She has also lived in Osaka, Japan.Here are a few links to recent stories that might be helpful for the show notes. -A recent story on the Tim Hortons issue: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-tim-hortons-franchisees-profitability/-A story on food waste-diversion apps: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-groceries-apps-food-waste-flashfood/-Here’s a story on the communications challenge facing the grocers amid food inflation: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-loblaw-food-prices-twitter/-My colleague David’s piece on grocers and inflation, so I’ll include a link to that: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/commentary/article-greedflation-or-savvy-selling-grocers-like-leaving-us-guessing/-This is the story I mentioned about sick pay policies: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-retail-workers-face-jumble-of-corporate-sick-pay-policies-amid-omicron/-For something completely different, if listeners are interested in the ballet piece discussed that was nominated: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/theatre-and-performance/article-karen-kain-national-ballet-swan-lake/ About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor in food distribution and policy in the Faculties of Management and Agriculture at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Before joining Dalhousie, he was affiliated with the University of Guelph’s Arrell Food Institute, which he co-founded. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. Google Scholar ranks him as one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability.He has authored five books on global food systems, his most recent one published in 2017 by Wiley-Blackwell entitled “Food Safety, Risk Intelligence and Benchmarking”. He has also published over 500 peer-reviewed journal articles in several academic publications. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, including The Lancet, The Economist, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, BBC, NBC, ABC, Fox News, Foreign Affairs, the Globe & Mail, the National Post and the Toronto Star.Dr. Charlebois sits on a few company boards, and supports many organizations as a special advisor, including some publicly traded companies. Charlebois is also a member of the Scientific Council of the Business Scientific Institute, based in Luxemburg. Dr. Charlebois is a member of the Global Food Traceability Centre’s Advisory Board based in Washington DC, and a member of the National Scientific Committee of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in Ottawa. About MichaelMichael is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc. and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada and the Bank of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, Today's Shopping Choice and Pandora Jewellery. Michael has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. He has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions with C-level executives and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels. ReThink Retail has added Michael to their prestigious Top Global Retail Influencers list for 20

Welcome to The Food Professor podcast Season three, episode 16.Our special guest is Tom Margeson, President & CEO at Healthy Berries, live from PEI, talking to us about Superfruit Puree! Tom shares with us the fascinating origin story, growth trajectory and experiences of his business, and his experiences as a contestant on Dragon's Den.In the news, Sylvain reviews the grocery CEOS performance in front of the Parliamentary Agri-Food committee and awards the grocers and parliamentarians based on their opening statements, questions, and overall performance.We check back in on a story we talked about last week, reported in the New York Times, where big brand owners were found to have child labour deep in their supply chains.The episode also provides a sneak peek into a new report from the Agri-Foods lab, coming out next week, that looks at price errors and customer service in grocery stores. Next, Sylvan discusses a new bill, Bill C-234, on track to become law before summer. This bill would immediately exempt fuel used to dry grain and heat barns from the carbon tax.The episode concludes with a discussion on AI in the food industry, the offer made by Russia to extend the Ukrainian grain export deal, and the risks farmers face in Ukraine due to mines planted in their fields. Finally, Michael & Sylvain discuss Aldi's packaging mishap and how it reflects the company's position on hard discounting. About TomA dynamic, seasoned, enterprising senior leader known for building strong relationships combined with a belief in leading-by-example. Extensive achievements in the consumer packaged goods sector with a reputation for insight and vision. Strong knowledge of P&L drivers and strategic planning. Possesses a natural talent for motivating and engaging teams, facilitating both personal and professional development. Focused on continuously meeting or over-achieving targets through rewarding excellence and smart business decisions. A solutions-focused professional with a natural passion for serving the community as well as the organization.About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor in food distribution and policy in the Faculties of Management and Agriculture at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Before joining Dalhousie, he was affiliated with the University of Guelph’s Arrell Food Institute, which he co-founded. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. Google Scholar ranks him as one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability.He has authored five books on global food systems, his most recent one published in 2017 by Wiley-Blackwell entitled “Food Safety, Risk Intelligence and Benchmarking”. He has also published over 500 peer-reviewed journal articles in several academic publications. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, including The Lancet, The Economist, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, BBC, NBC, ABC, Fox News, Foreign Affairs, the Globe & Mail, the National Post and the Toronto Star.Dr. Charlebois sits on a few company boards, and supports many organizations as a special advisor, including some publicly traded companies. Charlebois is also a member of the Scientific Council of the Business Scientific Institute, based in Luxemburg. Dr. Charlebois is a member of the Global Food Traceability Centre’s Advisory Board based in Washington DC, and a member of the National Scientific Committee of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in Ottawa. About MichaelMichael is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc. and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada and the Bank of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, Today's Shopping Choice and Pandora Jewellery. Michael has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. He has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions with C-level executives and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels. ReThink Retail has added Michael to their prestigious Top Global Retail Influencers list for 2023 for the third year in a row. Michael is also the president of Maven Media, producing a network of leading trade podcasts, including Remarkable Retail , with best-selling author Steve Dennis, now ranked one of the top retail podcasts in the world. Based in San Francisco, Global eCommerce Leaders podcast explores global cross-border issues and opportunities for eCommerce brands and retailers. Last but not least, Michael is the producer and host of the "Last Request Barbeque" channel on YouTube, where he cooks meals to die for - and collaborates with top brands as a fo

In this episode, we discuss recent news stories in the food industry, starting with the recent layoffs at Eat Just, notwithstanding their success with their plant-based egg product and cultivated meat products, and the closure of Merit Foods in Winnipeg: is there more behind these closures to the plant-based protein industry, or just swings and roundabouts of risk, growth and capitalism?We touch on the scene from a Montreal underpass where frozen carcasses of pigs strung up in protest and the immigrant child labour scandal at Hearthside Food Solutions that may have kids packing your Cheerios.Our special guest is Vince Breton from DuBreton. He tells us about his Canadian specialty pork farming and processing company, which is getting worldwide attention for its organic pork products and the standards of treatment of the animals on his farms that he sells to consumers.Lastly, we discuss the long-term changes in the food, grocery, and restaurant industries brought about by the COVID-19 pandemicand the largest outbreak of avian influenza in U.S. history, which has driven up egg prices and raised concerns about a potential human pandemic. Finally, we discuss the influence of Tik Tok on food innovation and the new Chicken Big Mac at McDonald's, inspired by a fan recipe. A few Dubreton cooks from Mike's popular YouTube cooking show, the Last Request BBQ show:https://youtu.be/U6Y_JHlEZIohttps://youtu.be/Y4SZEH012J0https://youtu.be/n-f_hz5jvy8https://youtu.be/KD1P_AaDJ-U About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor in food distribution and policy in the Faculties of Management and Agriculture at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Before joining Dalhousie, he was affiliated with the University of Guelph’s Arrell Food Institute, which he co-founded. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. Google Scholar ranks him as one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability.He has authored five books on global food systems, his most recent one published in 2017 by Wiley-Blackwell entitled “Food Safety, Risk Intelligence and Benchmarking”. He has also published over 500 peer-reviewed journal articles in several academic publications. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, including The Lancet, The Economist, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, BBC, NBC, ABC, Fox News, Foreign Affairs, the Globe & Mail, the National Post and the Toronto Star.Dr. Charlebois sits on a few company boards, and supports many organizations as a special advisor, including some publicly traded companies. Charlebois is also a member of the Scientific Council of the Business Scientific Institute, based in Luxemburg. Dr. Charlebois is a member of the Global Food Traceability Centre’s Advisory Board based in Washington DC, and a member of the National Scientific Committee of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in Ottawa. About MichaelMichael is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc. and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada and the Bank of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, Today's Shopping Choice and Pandora Jewellery. Michael has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. He has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions with C-level executives and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels. ReThink Retail has added Michael to their prestigious Top Global Retail Influencers list for 2023 for the third year in a row. Michael is also the president of Maven Media, producing a network of leading trade podcasts, including Remarkable Retail , with best-selling author Steve Dennis, now ranked one of the top retail podcasts in the world. Based in San Francisco, Global eCommerce Leaders podcast explores global cross-border issues and opportunities for eCommerce brands and retailers. Last but not least, Michael is the producer and host of the "Last Request Barbeque" channel on YouTube, where he cooks meals to die for - and collaborates with top brands as a food and product influencer across North America. About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Visiting Professor in Food Policy and Distribution at McGill University and a Professor in Food Distribution and Policy in the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University.Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. He is one of the world’s most cited scholars in food supply chain management, fo

Welcome to The Food Professor podcast. We have a special guest live from Saskatchewan, Kristjan Hebert, President of Herbert Grain Ventures and the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2022 Prairies winner.We talked to Kristjan to get his overall view of the state of Canadian agriculture today, including the grain market for 2023 and beyond, the impact of the Ukraine War on the market and planting and the challenges affecting the agriculture industry in Canada. We talk about encouraging young farmers to enter the industry, what the government can do to ensure a strong future for farming and farmers in Canada, and if we ask Kristjan if he were the Canadian Minister of Agriculture for one day, what three changes he would make.In other news, we discuss the recent quarterly results of Loblaw's and the political theatre of grocers confirmed to appear in front of the Standing Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture in Ottawa on March 8.Michael asks Sylvain what questions Parliamentarians should ask the grocers and has a few suggestions himself. Lastly, we discuss new Post bedtime cereal and upcoming research from the Dalhousie Agri-foods Analytics lab. About KristjanKristjan Hebert is the President and CEO of The Hebert Group and Managing Partner of Hebert Grain Ventures, a 30,000-acre grain and oilseed operation in southeast Saskatchewan, Canada. He is also the co-founder of Maverick Ag Consulting which provides custom-designed lending, accounting and insurance solutions to producers and Farmer Coach, a business management coaching program for farmers. Successful entrepreneur, and leader in the agricultural sector, Kristjan Hebert is passionate about advancing agriculture in Canada and globally.About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor in food distribution and policy in the Faculties of Management and Agriculture at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Before joining Dalhousie, he was affiliated with the University of Guelph’s Arrell Food Institute, which he co-founded. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. Google Scholar ranks him as one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability.He has authored five books on global food systems, his most recent one published in 2017 by Wiley-Blackwell entitled “Food Safety, Risk Intelligence and Benchmarking”. He has also published over 500 peer-reviewed journal articles in several academic publications. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, including The Lancet, The Economist, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, BBC, NBC, ABC, Fox News, Foreign Affairs, the Globe & Mail, the National Post and the Toronto Star.Dr. Charlebois sits on a few company boards, and supports many organizations as a special advisor, including some publicly traded companies. Charlebois is also a member of the Scientific Council of the Business Scientific Institute, based in Luxemburg. Dr. Charlebois is a member of the Global Food Traceability Centre’s Advisory Board based in Washington DC, and a member of the National Scientific Committee of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in Ottawa. About MichaelMichael is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc. and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada and the Bank of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, Today's Shopping Choice and Pandora Jewellery. Michael has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. He has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions with C-level executives and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels. ReThink Retail has added Michael to their prestigious Top Global Retail Influencers list for 2023 for the third year in a row. Michael is also the president of Maven Media, producing a network of leading trade podcasts, including Remarkable Retail , with best-selling author Steve Dennis, now ranked one of the top retail podcasts in the world. Based in San Francisco, Global eCommerce Leaders podcast explores global cross-border issues and opportunities for eCommerce brands and retailers. Last but not least, Michael is the producer and host of the "Last Request Barbeque" channel on YouTube, where he cooks meals to die for - and collaborates with top brands as a food and product influencer across North America. About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Visiting Professor in Food Policy and Distribution at McGill University and a Professor in Food Distribution and Policy in the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalho

This episode's guest is Michael Burgess, founder of Nerpy's hot sauces and marinades. We talk about Nerpy's origin story, what inspired Michael to get into the food business, and all about the products and what makes them different.But first, we cover Canada's food inflation numbers and if they are on track to match Sylvain's predictions from Canada's Food Price Report.Ukraine: One year later - Biden visits, Putin claps back opting out of the last nuclear treaty….after a year less disruption to the global food supply chain but many repercussions, including the government promising Canadian farmers they'd get their $35 million backNext, the 6.3% escalator tax on beer coming into effect April 1 - one of the largest, if not the largest by percentage, and ask why.Double double trouble cleanup in the drive-through: RBI cleaning house: Tim Hortons turfs key store owner amid a battle with franchisees over profitability and serves notice to the Board of Director members…and lastly, our good friends at Better Cart Analytics get fundedhttps://www.foodincanada.com/food-trends/cfin-awards-1-2m-to-five-foodtech-projects-154101/ About MichaelMeet Michael Burgess who hails from Kingston, Jamaica. Michael is an entrepreneur and foodie who was born in Kingston, where lived until his family moved to Canada in 1982. Michael Burgess’ story is one that goes from riding a donkey laden with fruits on his grandfather’s farm in Clarendon, Jamaica. To producing award winning hot sauces in Toronto, ON worthy of Toronto Life magazine’s Hall of Flame. Michael’s love of food is deeply rooted in his Jamaican heritage and culture which is what inspires his work. Michael is a Certified Sales Professional and believes in their philosophy of continual learning. His Post- Secondary education was completed at Seneca College in Toronto where he is a graduate from not one but three programs. He started with Accounting, followed by Business Administration-Entrepreneurship and lastly he finalized his studies with Business Administration-Management. In between his studies Michael worked as a manager for a few different companies. In 2008/2009 he looked at the Hot Sauce industry and began experimenting with sauces. By the fall of 2009 Nerpy’s Hot Sauces™, began. Nerpy’s is currently listed in grocery chains like Metro, Sobeys, Farm Boy as well as many other independent retailers and a few restaurants/caterers in Ontario.Nerpy’s Inc. began in the fall of 2009 as a part time Hot Sauce venture. Nerpy’s Inc., now produces award winning sauces in Toronto, ON worthy of Toronto Life magazine’s Hall of Flame. The Scotch Bonnet peppers are a signature component of these products, many of which have won awards in and around the Greater Toronto Hamilton Area. This collection of sauces include a Mango Scotch bonnet Very Hot Sauce, a Pomegranate and Beet hot sauce, a Tamarind Jerk Seasoning, a Coconut Curry Seasoning, an All Purpose seasoning and a Tropical Pineapple &Appleton Rum infused BBQ Sauce. Nerpy’s Hot Sauces have won awards in competitions such as Jerk Warz (2016), The Heatwave Hot Sauce Expo (2019) and The Royal Winter Fair’s Hot Sauce Competition (2019). Michael’s Pomegranate Hot Sauce was recognized by Toronto Life Magazine as one of the Top twenty Hot Sauces in Toronto (2019).Nerpy’s is now listed in over 150+ retail stores including major grocery chains like Metro, Sobeys, Farm Boy as well as many other smaller independent retailers and a few restaurants in caterers in Ontario.Got to https://www.nerpys.ca to learn more about Nerpy’s amazing products or use the store locator for retailers across Ontario. About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor in food distribution and policy in the Faculties of Management and Agriculture at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Before joining Dalhousie, he was affiliated with the University of Guelph’s Arrell Food Institute, which he co-founded. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. Google Scholar ranks him as one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability.He has authored five books on global food systems, his most recent one published in 2017 by Wiley-Blackwell entitled “Food Safety, Risk Intelligence and Benchmarking”. He has also published over 500 peer-reviewed journal articles in several academic publications. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, including The Lancet, The Economist, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, BBC, NBC, ABC, Fox News, Foreign Affairs, the Globe & Mail, the National Post and the Toronto Star.Dr. Charlebois sits on a few company boards, and supports many organizations as a special advisor, including some publicly traded companies. Charlebois is also a

Our first weekly podcast episode, and as expected, there is no shortage of news and happenings in the food, grocery and restaurant industry to report on! Our extraordinary guest in this episode is JP McMahon, Michelin star chef, restauranteur, ambassador for Irish food and author, joining us live from Galway, Ireland. In a wide-ranging conversation, we talk about his eclectic and artistic interests, the concepts behind his restaurants, what it takes to be a Michelin-star restaurant and the upsides/downsides of that global program. We also talk about lessons learned from the COVID pandemic for the industry, the stagiaires system, and two-starts, one-stop advice for fellow restauranteurs. Some folks may have been watching the Superbowl on Sunday night, but you would have missed the important announcement, Best Sommelier in the World competition! The best Sommelier in the world is from Latvia, crowned Sunday in Paris in front of 4,000 spectators. Raimonds Tomsons beat another contestant from northern Europe, Denmark's Nina Jensen, who was runner-up for the second consecutive edition of the triennial competition. Reeze Choi from Hong Kong finished third. Not countries that usually come to mind when thinking about wine, we talk about why this is a positive development in wine. Speaking of a live show and competition, the Parliamentary Agriculture Committee is back looking at food inflation. We talk about what the next steps. Next week is the one-year anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine coming(Feb. 24) - we start looking ahead.We talk about GM Salmon farm change of business model….Aquabounty and Australia's Karen's Diner are coming to Canada. Up in smoke: Canopy closes their iconic plant in Smith Falls, the old Hershey plant - at one time the biggest cannabis company in the worldThat's a lot of cheddar, as the kids would say - Saputo blows the doors off their results with an 85% YOY performance. New labour data (STASCAN), coming out last week: Only two sectors are employing fewer people than in January 2020: Agriculture (-12%) and Accommodation and hospitality (-10%) - is this a shift or shortage of workers?Farmland values across the country are skyrocketing - we talk about the implications. About JPJP McMahon is one of Ireland’s most prominent chefs. A passionate advocate of wild, seasonal and sustainable ingredients from the west of the country, he is committed to promoting the food of Galway, and to producing world-class, contemporary Irish cuisine. His Michelin-star restaurant Aniar does both, but it also feeds back into the local community on a much deeper level. His annual Food On The Edge symposium in Galway reaches even further afield, with its roll call of top chefs from all over the world. Which is why JP McMahon is one of the most influential people in European gastronomy today.The Dublin-born chef had his first food epiphany as a child while on holiday in Tipperary. While the rest of the family had burgers, he opted for a spaghetti bolognese, which was a revelation to the youngster. It set him on a course of discovery that would see him work in various kitchens, while also harbouring an ambition to become a writer. It wasn’t until 2008 that he opened his first venture, a Spanish restaurant called Cava. It quickly won a reputation for serving some of the best tapas in Ireland, and it gave McMahon the confidence to embark on his most ambitious restaurant project to date.Aniar (meaning ‘west’ in Gaelic) is a love letter to the produce and landscape of the West of Ireland and its rugged coast. Almost every ingredient used here is either native to the local region or from somewhere else in Ireland, whether it’s foraged seaweed and Galway Bay oysters, or seasonal sea urchins and truffles. Terroir is the central theme, and although the menu changes daily, it is certain to have a distinctive local flavour that mirrors McMahon’s cooking philosophy. Pickled, smoked, cured and fermented ingredients hint at his commitment to the environment, using the methods of the past in order to inspire future sustainability.Among JP McMahon’s signature dishes are his Galway Bay oyster with pickled seaweed, oyster emulsion and sea herbs. His Dexter beef tartare, smoked egg yolk and pepper dulse seaweed showcases some of the very best farmed and foraged ingredients in the country. Meanwhile, his cod and seaweed beurre blanc with trout roe reveals the very best of the west coast of Ireland.Aniar has retained a Michelin star since 2013, but its significance locally has more impact than mere awards. McMahon founded the Aniar School Project, in which he teaches children of all ages about the importance of food. And the Aniar Cookery School, also led by McMahon, aims to instruct chefs of all levels how to cook local ingredients sustainably. The conversation about the environment doesn’t stop there, however.At the annual Food On The Edge symposium, chefs from around the world gather in Galway to discuss the future of food. A

Sylvain gets pretty worked up about Nestle's decision to exit the freezer section with their pizzas and other frozen staples, the latest report from the AgriFoods lab on the cashless economy, Canadian dairy in the dumps, and we visit the discount grocery store sector. Finally, a bit of trouble for our friend Yanick Gervais at Olymel, who is closing some processing plants We get the "T" from our extraordinary guest Shabnam Weber, President of the Tea and Herbal Association of Canada, and a special announcement about the show!About ShabnamFor almost two decades, Shabnam Weber owned and operated her own tea company in Toronto, Canada. With retail stores and a wholesale business, her company was one of the first of its kind in Toronto. Her passion and love of tea led her to become involved with the Tea and Herbal Association of Canada as a Director, sitting on a number of committees, most notably the Education Committee where she wrote the Tea Sommelier® program.Shabnam divested from her business’ and took the position of President of the Tea and Herbal Association of Canada in 2018. She has transformed the association through the programs and resources it offers members and become an industry leader. She is the Canadian representative on the UN FAO’s Intergovernmental Group on Tea where she sits on a number of working groups as well as being the Vice-Chair of the working group on Smallholders and co-Chair of the working group on Tea and Health.Through her time as an entrepreneur and her industry involvement for over twenty years, she has a unique perspective on multiple angles of the business advocating for all. Shabnam values the diversity offered by all parts of the tea industry, both in Canada and beyond and focuses always on the bigger picture. About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor in food distribution and policy in the Faculties of Management and Agriculture at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Before joining Dalhousie, he was affiliated with the University of Guelph’s Arrell Food Institute, which he co-founded. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. Google Scholar ranks him as one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability.He has authored five books on global food systems, his most recent one published in 2017 by Wiley-Blackwell entitled “Food Safety, Risk Intelligence and Benchmarking”. He has also published over 500 peer-reviewed journal articles in several academic publications. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, including The Lancet, The Economist, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, BBC, NBC, ABC, Fox News, Foreign Affairs, the Globe & Mail, the National Post and the Toronto Star.Dr. Charlebois sits on a few company boards, and supports many organizations as a special advisor, including some publicly traded companies. Charlebois is also a member of the Scientific Council of the Business Scientific Institute, based in Luxemburg. Dr. Charlebois is a member of the Global Food Traceability Centre’s Advisory Board based in Washington DC, and a member of the National Scientific Committee of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in Ottawa. About MichaelMichael is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc. and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada and the Bank of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, Today's Shopping Choice and Pandora Jewellery. Michael has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. He has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions with C-level executives and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels. ReThink Retail has added Michael to their prestigious Top Global Retail Influencers list for 2023 for the third year in a row. Michael is also the president of Maven Media, producing a network of leading trade podcasts, including Remarkable Retail , with best-selling author Steve Dennis, now ranked one of the top retail podcasts in the world. Based in San Francisco, Global eCommerce Leaders podcast explores global cross-border issues and opportunities for eCommerce brands and retailers. Last but not least, Michael is the producer and host of the "Last Request Barbeque" channel on YouTube, where he cooks meals to die for - and collaborates with top brands as a food and product influencer across North America. About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Visiting Professor in Food Policy and Distribution at McGill University and a Professor in Food Distribution and Policy in the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Sen

Welcome to The Food Professor podcast, Season three!We're back on the mic after a busy couple of weeks for Sylvain and the podcast; our last episode with Robert Andjelich, the largest farm owner in Canada, was our most popular ever, though some of that activity may be a reflection of Sylvain's media popularity in the past couple of weeks too!Our extraordinary guest this week is a revolutionary farmer of a different type, Josh Tetrick, CEO and co-founder of Eat Just Inchttps://www.ju.st/https://www.goodmeat.co/In this episode,Is stealing morally acceptable now?In 2022, Canada became the largest croissant exporter in the world. We now export millions of kilos of butter along with these croissants - but is this another factor in the high cost of butter domestically?The Grocery Code of Conduct update/ reaction - what we know, what we don't know, and when we'll know itCCSA's new alcohol guidelines - in a world where almost everything causes cancer, if you consume enough of it, what is the right approach to communicating the risks?Parliament is back next week, and expectations, including on Bill C-252 (food advertising to children)About JoshJoshTetrick, co-founder and CEO, Eat Just, Inc.JoshTetrick is CEO & co-founder of Eat Just, Inc., a food technology company with a mission to build a healthier, safer and more sustainable food system in our lifetimes. The company's expertise, from functionalizing plant proteins to culturing animal cells, is powered by a world-class team of scientists and chefs spanning more than a dozen research disciplines. Eat Just created one of America’s fastest-growing egg brands, which is made entirely of plants, and the world’s first-to-market meat made from animal cells instead of slaughtered livestock. Prior to founding Eat Just, Tetrick led a United Nations business initiative in Kenya and worked for both former President Clinton and Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. As Fulbright Scholar, Tetrick taught schoolchildren in Nigeria and South Africa and is a graduate of Cornell University and the University of Michigan Law School. Tetrick has been named one of Fast Company’s “Most Creative People in Business,” Inc.’s “35 Under 35” and Fortune’s “40 Under 40.” Eat Just has been recognized as one of Fast Company’s “Most Innovative Companies,” Entrepreneur’s “100 Brilliant Companies,” CNBC’s “Disruptor 50” and a World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer. About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor in food distribution and policy in the Faculties of Management and Agriculture at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Before joining Dalhousie, he was affiliated with the University of Guelph’s Arrell Food Institute, which he co-founded. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. Google Scholar ranks him as one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability.He has authored five books on global food systems, his most recent one published in 2017 by Wiley-Blackwell entitled “Food Safety, Risk Intelligence and Benchmarking”. He has also published over 500 peer-reviewed journal articles in several academic publications. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, including The Lancet, The Economist, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, BBC, NBC, ABC, Fox News, Foreign Affairs, the Globe & Mail, the National Post and the Toronto Star.Dr. Charlebois sits on a few company boards, and supports many organizations as a special advisor, including some publicly traded companies. Charlebois is also a member of the Scientific Council of the Business Scientific Institute, based in Luxemburg. Dr. Charlebois is a member of the Global Food Traceability Centre’s Advisory Board based in Washington DC, and a member of the National Scientific Committee of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in Ottawa. About MichaelMichael is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc. and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada and the Bank of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, Today's Shopping Choice and Pandora Jewellery. Michael has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. He has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions with C-level executives and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels. ReThink Retail has added Michael to their prestigious Top Global Retail Influencers list for 2023 for the third year in a row. Michael is also the president of Maven Media, producing a network of leading trade podcasts, including Canada's top retail industry podcast, The Voice of Retail. He produces and co-hosts

Welcome to The Food Professor podcast, Season 3, episode 9.In this episode, we're looking ahead to the year 2023. We have an extraordinary guest joining us for this episode - Robert Andjelic, Founder & CEO of Andjelic Land, the largest farm owner in Canada, who has graciously agreed to join us for a rare interview.https://andjelic.ca/In this episode, we discuss predictions for 2023. We also delve into recent news about chicken prices and government subsidies for dairy farmers. Are there any fixable issues in the current system of supporting farmers? Along with these discussions, we will be hearing from our special guest and your host's top predictions for 2023, including "Reducetarianism" replacing "Flexitarianism," the future of the restaurant and foodservice business and the impact of the ongoing Ukraine war on global food infrastructure. Big news we are once again working with the great people at the SIAL Food Innovation show, and will be the official podcast of the 2023 SIAL show this year here in Toronto from April 9 to 11thhttps://sialcanada.com/en/About RobertRobert’s founding of Andjelic Land was driven by his undeniable passion for agriculture. From meeting with producers, assisting with land improvements, or promoting the industry, he is extremely hands-on with the business. He is an unwavering champion of Saskatchewan’s producers and strongly believes they are positioned to be global leaders in food production. Robert is a firm believer in local value-added businesses and is currently collaborating with private industry and different levels of government to attract value add players to the industry with a focus on Saskatchewan. These efforts have borne fruit as evidenced by several new companies opening protein extraction/ fractionation plants across the three Prairie provinces. Robert is keenly aware that the success of Andjelic Land is predicated on partnering with and supporting strong Saskatchewan producers. Robert has spent his entire career in pursuit of excellence. As a teenager, he renovated homes in Winnipeg’s North End. He went on to cofound a masonry business that worked on countless projects throughout Manitoba starting with house fronts, then moving into commercial properties, and eventually into building schools, hydroelectric projects, cultural centers, public swimming pools, etc. During this time, Robert identified an opportunity to improve upon the industrial buildings that were then being built and started a company that quickly went on to become Winnipeg’s leading private industrial builder & developer. At one point, the whole Andjelic family was involved to achieve this goal. He sold the building portfolio in 2007 and over a decade later, this portfolio of properties continues to be some of the most desirable and sought-after assets in the city.In 2011, Robert identified similar opportunities to improve upon the management, development, and efficiency of agricultural land. His unwavering belief in the potential of Saskatchewan’s producers and what they would be able to achieve with even more productive and efficient land resulted in the creation of Andjelic Land. You can find him driving all over the province talking to tenants and working with them to further enhance and improve the land they farm. A decade after starting his mission to provide farmers with Premium Sustainable Land™, Robert feels we have only begun to scratch the surface of Saskatchewan agriculture’s potential on its rise to global prominence. The work continues!About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor in food distribution and policy in the Faculties of Management and Agriculture at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Before joining Dalhousie, he was affiliated with the University of Guelph’s Arrell Food Institute, which he co-founded. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. Google Scholar ranks him as one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability.He has authored five books on global food systems, his most recent one published in 2017 by Wiley-Blackwell entitled “Food Safety, Risk Intelligence and Benchmarking”. He has also published over 500 peer-reviewed journal articles in several academic publications. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, including The Lancet, The Economist, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, BBC, NBC, ABC, Fox News, Foreign Affairs, the Globe & Mail, the National Post and the Toronto Star.Dr. Charlebois sits on a few company boards, and supports many organizations as a special advisor, including some publicly traded companies. Charlebois is also a member of the Scientific Council of the Business Scientific Institute, based in Luxemburg. Dr. Charlebois

For our last episode of 2022, Sylvain looks back to the top food story of 2022 and the tradecraft of how the top 10 food story ranking comes together in a super-busy food year. We also talk about the Russian fertilizer tariff and who paid when for the $ 34 million donation to Ukraine.Our special guest for this episode live from San Diego, California via Vancouver & Toronto, is Sam Zien, aka Sam the Cooking Guy, who shares his remarkable and inspiring journey to 3.5Million subscribers on YouTube, three restaurants and six cookbookshttps://www.youtube.com/@samthecookingguyBig news we are once again working with the great people at the SIAL Food Innovation show and will be the official podcast of the 2023 SIAL show this year here in Toronto from April 9 to 11thhttps://sialcanada.com/en/Our next episode will be on January 12https://www.dal.ca/sites/agri-food/research/top-10-food-stories-2022.html About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Visiting Professor in Food Policy and Distribution at McGill University and a Professor in Food Distribution and Policy in the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University.Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. He is one of the world’s most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability with over 775 published peer-reviewed journal articles. Dr. Charlebois is also an editor for the prestigious Trends in Food Science Technology journal. He co-hosts The Food Professor podcast, discussing issues in the food, foodservice, grocery and restaurant industries and which is the most listened Canadian management podcast in Canada. Every year since 2012, he has published the now highly anticipated Canadian Food Price Report, which provides an overview of food price trends for the coming year. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, nationally as well as internationally. He has testified on several occasions before parliamentary committees on food policy-related issues as an expert witness. He has been asked to act as an advisor on food and agricultural policies in many Canadian provinces and other countries.With extensive experience collaborating with businesses, governments, and NGOs, Dr. Charlebois combines academic rigor with practical expertise, making him one of the most influential voices in the global agri-food landscape. His work continues to advance the understanding of food systems, fostering innovation and resilience in a rapidly evolving industry. In 2025, he received the prestigious Charles III medal recognizing his tremendous work in informing Canadians about food issues. Michael LeBlanc is a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and media entrepreneur. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions hosted senior retail executive on-stage in 1:1 interviews worldwide. Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including The Remarkable Retail Podcast, The Voice of Retail, The Food Professor, The FEED powered by Loblaw and the Global eCommerce Leaders podcast.  He has been recognized by the National Retail Federation (NRF) as a global Top Retail Voice for 2025 and 2025, and continues to be a ReThink Retail Top Retail Expert for the fifth year in a row. 

An action-packed episode as we get the story behind the story of the latest edition, the 13th, of Canada's Food Price Report, plus hear all about Sylvain's day testifying in Ottawa in front of the parliamentary committee on the cost of food along with a whole cast of characters.Our special guest for this episode is Kelly Long, CEO of Noble Premium Bison. https://noblepremiumbison.com/ A reminder to the people not to sleep on, as the kids would say, our most excellent interview with Christine Cruz-Clarke, CEO of Balzac's Coffee, recorded live in person at the Coffee Association of Canada's conference here in Toronto… We stop in with our good friends Gurth Pretty and Maelle Rey-Marechal from SIAL at Gurth's Lakeview Cheese - getting all geared up for SIAL here in Toronto in May - we are once again the official podcast of SIAL!We should also mention that once again, we are sponsoring the Canadian Grand Prix New Product Awards, presented by Retail Council of Canada, the deadline for submissions is December 31, 2022Canada's Food Price ReportCooking with Bison!About KellyIn 2004, Kelly Long introduced Canadian bison to an eager yet untapped European market. An award-winning agricultural entrepreneur and marketer, Kelly and her husband and partner, Pieter Spinder, grew the company and their business to ultimately become a valuable acquisition for one of the largest bison producers in North America.Fast forward to 2017 with a new brand, Noble Premium Bison, a new partner, producer Doug Griller, and a new mission - to position Canadian grass-raised bison as the meat to beat, and make Noble Premium Bison one of the most sought-after red meat products at both retail and foodservice in both Canada and Europe.Kelly brings a wealth of knowledge in the vertical integration of raising, producing, and exporting premium bison meat. As CEO of Noble Premium Bison, Kelly Long believes in elevating the bar in all aspects of business. As one of Canada’s recognized female entrepreneurs, Kelly continues to be at the forefront of the bison industry—an industry trending towards species sustainability, land regeneration and consumer transparency. About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor in food distribution and policy in the Faculties of Management and Agriculture at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Before joining Dalhousie, he was affiliated with the University of Guelph’s Arrell Food Institute, which he co-founded. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. Google Scholar ranks him as one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability.He has authored five books on global food systems, his most recent one published in 2017 by Wiley-Blackwell entitled “Food Safety, Risk Intelligence and Benchmarking”. He has also published over 500 peer-reviewed journal articles in several academic publications. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, including The Lancet, The Economist, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, BBC, NBC, ABC, Fox News, Foreign Affairs, the Globe & Mail, the National Post and the Toronto Star.Dr. Charlebois sits on a few company boards, and supports many organizations as a special advisor, including some publicly traded companies. Charlebois is also a member of the Scientific Council of the Business Scientific Institute, based in Luxemburg. Dr. Charlebois is a member of the Global Food Traceability Centre’s Advisory Board based in Washington DC, and a member of the National Scientific Committee of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in Ottawa.Michael LeBlanc is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada’s top retail industry podcast, The Voice of Retail, plus Global E-Commerce Tech Talks , The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois and now in its second season, Conversations with CommerceNext! You can learn more about Michael here or on LinkedIn. Be sure and check out Michael's latest venture for fun and influencer riches - Last Request Barbecue, his YouTube BBQ cooking channel! About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Visiting Professor in Food Policy and Distribution at McGill University and a Professor in Food Distribution and Policy in the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University.Known as “The Food Professor”, his current re

Recorded live in person at the Coffee Association of Canada's The Road Ahead 2022 Annual Conference in Toronto, Sylvain and I sit down with Christine Cruz-Clarke, CEO of Balzacs Coffee Roasters. In a wide-ranging conversation, Christine takes us through her consulting and packaged goods background and the business's origin story, from a coffee cart at Ontario Place to the shelves of significant grocers across Canada and multiple bespoke locations across Ontario. We also talk about their corporate culture and what innovation looks like across their wholesale and retail business. About ChristineChristine leads with heart and hustle, and think with infinite possibility to catalyze change.As the CEO of Balzac’s Coffee Ltd., a vertically integrated premium coffee brand with a sustainable chain of cafés, I oversee all company operations with a focus on building the brand and driving commercial success.Prior to joining Balzac’s, I spent over 18 years leading businesses and teams in CPG, Management Consulting and Sustainability in both Canada and Europe. I held senior roles with Mars Inc. leading marketing and strategy for the conglomerate’s global gum, mint and chocolate portfolios, and marketing and innovation roles at both The Hershey Company and Wrigley Canada. Over my career I have learned how to combine commerciality with creativity keeping consumers at the heart of problem solving to help businesses grow. I have tackled a variety of business challenges (turnaround, cost agenda, crisis management) and seized growth opportunities (white space innovation, new business development, emerging channels), while building and growing teams in Canada, UK and Europe.Prior to joining Balzac’s, I served as the General Manager for TerraCycle Canada, a leader in sustainable solutions which was named as one of TIME magazine’s 100 Most Influential Companies. I have also held marketing and strategy roles with both Kraft Foods and Deloitte. About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor in food distribution and policy in the Faculties of Management and Agriculture at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Before joining Dalhousie, he was affiliated with the University of Guelph’s Arrell Food Institute, which he co-founded. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. Google Scholar ranks him as one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability.He has authored five books on global food systems, his most recent one published in 2017 by Wiley-Blackwell entitled “Food Safety, Risk Intelligence and Benchmarking”. He has also published over 500 peer-reviewed journal articles in several academic publications. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, including The Lancet, The Economist, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, BBC, NBC, ABC, Fox News, Foreign Affairs, the Globe & Mail, the National Post and the Toronto Star.Dr. Charlebois sits on a few company boards, and supports many organizations as a special advisor, including some publicly traded companies. Charlebois is also a member of the Scientific Council of the Business Scientific Institute, based in Luxemburg. Dr. Charlebois is a member of the Global Food Traceability Centre’s Advisory Board based in Washington DC, and a member of the National Scientific Committee of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in Ottawa.Michael LeBlanc is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada’s top retail industry podcast, The Voice of Retail, plus Global E-Commerce Tech Talks , The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois and now in its second season, Conversations with CommerceNext! You can learn more about Michael here or on LinkedIn. Be sure and check out Michael's latest venture for fun and influencer riches - Last Request Barbecue, his YouTube BBQ cooking channel! About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Visiting Professor in Food Policy and Distribution at McGill University and a Professor in Food Distribution and Policy in the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University.Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. He is one of the world’s most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability with ove

Sylvain and I are back on the mic together after seeing each other and being together at the Coffee Association of Canada's great conference in Toronto last week.I'm back from a whirlwind trip to NYC and have to say I had some super exciting dining experiences….first, I visited the new RH Guest House for breakfast. Then I experienced the new Starbucks concept store at the foot of the Empire State Building and my favourite restaurant Balthazar for an amazing Nova Scotia lobster pasta.And coming out of the Coffee Association conference, we've already published a special bonus episode with Benjamin Tal, Deputy Chief Economist, CIBC, talking about the big picture economic forecast and the impact on the food industry….In this episode, recorded live in person, our insightful interview with Kate Burnett, President at Bridgehead Coffee.Breaking news…Sylvain might be back on Galen Westin's Christmas Card list! A super interesting new report from the Agri-Food Analytics lab broke through the Twitter clutter and revealed some startling stats about what Canadians heard, how they shop and whom they blame for high food prices.Next, we discuss Dairy Farmers of Canada's investment in the Toronto Maple Leafs, impressions on COP27, and the FDA's stunning approval of lab-grown chicken! We finish with a quick chat about favourite food movies and The Menu. About KateKate Burnett is the Chief Operations Officer of Bridgehead. She has been with the organization since 2017, after moving back to Ottawa with her family. Kate actively pursued a role with Bridgehead based on its commitment to people (farmers, suppliers, customers and staff), the local community and the environment. The idea of having a Bridgehead flat white every morning just pushed her over the edge.Prior to Bridgehead, Kate worked for Me to We, an innovative social enterprise based in Toronto focused on empowering people to change the world. She held multiple roles over her seven years there, including the Director of Consumer Engagement (building the retail side of the enterprise), Director of Business Development (working with partners to support initiatives and products with impact) and eventually as the Deputy Chief Operating Director (joining the Executive team to help lead and manage the growing enterprise).Kate completed an honors undergraduate degree from the University of Western Ontario with a double major in English and Psychology. She later completed an MBA from the University of Victoria with a focus on service management (marketing, operations and customer service). She received multiple scholarships including the Canada’s CEO of the Year – Futures Fund Scholarship and was the President of the Student Council.Before Me to We, Kate was the Associate Director of Camp Kandalore, a traditional summer camp with a focus on leadership and canoe tripping. Prior to this, she spent sixteen summers attending and then working at Camp Tawingo, which nurtured her passion for making a difference. Kate has travelled to over thirty countries and has been lucky enough to have been able to volunteer in South Africa at a camp for children affected by HIV/AIDS as well as in Rwanda with youth affected by the genocide.She believes that using innovative business practices to make a positive impact is the most efficient and effective way to change the world. ​About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor in food distribution and policy in the Faculties of Management and Agriculture at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Before joining Dalhousie, he was affiliated with the University of Guelph’s Arrell Food Institute, which he co-founded. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. Google Scholar ranks him as one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability.He has authored five books on global food systems, his most recent one published in 2017 by Wiley-Blackwell entitled “Food Safety, Risk Intelligence and Benchmarking”. He has also published over 500 peer-reviewed journal articles in several academic publications. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, including The Lancet, The Economist, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, BBC, NBC, ABC, Fox News, Foreign Affairs, the Globe & Mail, the National Post and the Toronto Star.Dr. Charlebois sits on a few company boards, and supports many organizations as a special advisor, including some publicly traded companies. Charlebois is also a member of the Scientific Council of the Business Scientific Institute, based in Luxemburg. Dr. Charlebois is a member of the Global Food Traceability Centre’s Advisory Board based in Washington DC, and a member of the National Scientific Committee of the Canadian Food Inspection

Recorded live in person at the Coffee Association of Canada's The Road Ahead 2022 Annual Conference in Toronto, Sylvain and I sit down with Benjamin Tal, Deputy Chief Economist, CIBC. We have a fast past and action-packed conversation around the state of the Canadian economy, prospects for our mid and long-term future, and the impact on the food service and coffee industry. Let's listen in now!About BenjaminBenjamin is a member of the CIBC economic team that is responsible for analyzing macro economic developments and their implications for fixed income, equity, foreign exchange and commodities markets. He also acts in an advisory capacity to bank officers on issues related to wealth management, household credit and risk, and corporate credit and risk. Well-known for his ground-breaking published research on topics such as labour market dynamics, real estate, credit markets, international trade and business economic conditions, Benjamin not only contributes to the conversation but also frequently sets the agenda.Benjamin has close to 20 years of experience in the private sector advising clients, industry leaders, corporate boards, trade associations and governments on economic and financial issues. He is also a regular commentator in the media.Benjamin is a member of the Economic Committee of The Canadian Chamber of Commerce and the Economic Development Committee of the Toronto Board of Trade. He is also a board member for the Governors of Junior Achievement of Central Ontario and Toronto Financial International.About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor in food distribution and policy in the Faculties of Management and Agriculture at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Before joining Dalhousie, he was affiliated with the University of Guelph’s Arrell Food Institute, which he co-founded. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. Google Scholar ranks him as one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability.He has authored five books on global food systems, his most recent one published in 2017 by Wiley-Blackwell entitled “Food Safety, Risk Intelligence and Benchmarking”. He has also published over 500 peer-reviewed journal articles in several academic publications. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, including The Lancet, The Economist, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, BBC, NBC, ABC, Fox News, Foreign Affairs, the Globe & Mail, the National Post and the Toronto Star.Dr. Charlebois sits on a few company boards, and supports many organizations as a special advisor, including some publicly traded companies. Charlebois is also a member of the Scientific Council of the Business Scientific Institute, based in Luxemburg. Dr. Charlebois is a member of the Global Food Traceability Centre’s Advisory Board based in Washington DC, and a member of the National Scientific Committee of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in Ottawa.Michael LeBlanc is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada’s top retail industry podcast, The Voice of Retail, plus Global E-Commerce Tech Talks , The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois and now in its second season, Conversations with CommerceNext! You can learn more about Michael here or on LinkedIn. Be sure and check out Michael's latest venture for fun and influencer riches - Last Request Barbecue, his YouTube BBQ cooking channel! About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Visiting Professor in Food Policy and Distribution at McGill University and a Professor in Food Distribution and Policy in the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University.Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. He is one of the world’s most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability with over 775 published peer-reviewed journal articles. Dr. Charlebois is also an editor for the prestigious Trends in Food Science Technology journal. He co-hosts The Food Professor podcast, discussing issues in the food, foodservice, grocery and restaurant industries and which is the most listened Canadian management podcast in Canada. Every year since 2012, he has published the now highly anticipat

In this episode, Sylvain and I discuss excess profits, how and why the Agri-Foods Analytics lab came up with the term and that number, and what Sylvain wants Canadians to take away from the exercise.Breaking news: we take on IT troubles in the food business in Canada…then more breaking news: lettuce pray for lettuce in trouble again.Michelin guide comes to Canada/Toronto/Vancouver - our last season guest Cory Mintz is not a fan. Cities invest big money to attract the Michelin guide. https://guide.michelin.com/en/ca/restaurants/1-star-michelin/2-stars-michelinThe Craft Beer market in Ontario is not so frothy: is it a case of too many micros chasing too few draught taps in a tapped-out, quasi-post covid market? https://www.thestar.com/business/2022/11/04/future-of-ontarios-craft-brewery-industry-not-so-frothy.htmlRead Greedflation 3 report here: https://www.dal.ca/sites/agri-fod/research/greedflation-3.htmlOur guest this episode is David Carsley, Head of Industry, Google Marketing Platform, talking about the insight, work and services for the food and foodservice business that Google has to offer.As a reminder to everyone in six sleeps, we will be podcasting live and interviewing a slate of guests at the upcoming Canadian Coffee Association Conference in Toronto at the Globe and Mail Centre on November 14. Get your tickets today and come by and say hello. Our guests will include Christine Cruz-Clarke, CEO of Balzac’s, Kate Burnett, CEO of Bridgehead coffee, and Benjamin Tal, Deputy Chief Economist from CIBC…Links mentioned in the interview:1. Digitalmaturitybenchmark.withgoogle.com -> A self-service tool for companies to measure their digital marketing maturity. The survey was built in partnership with the Boston Consulting Group.2. ThinkwithGoogle.com -> Google's hub to see all kinds of case studies from companies that have grown their business using Google's technology.3. Google Trends -> Explore what the world is searching in real time.4. Google Analytics 4 -> Google's unified app and web analytics tool. About DavidAs Head of Industry at Google, David advises Canadian companies on how to leverage the best of Google's marketing technology to drive profitable growth and future-proof their businesses. David's guiding principles are Empathy, Honesty and Humility -- traits he believes are necessary to build meaningful connections both professionally and personally. He lives in Oakville with his wife Leora and two dogs Brella and Gilligan.About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor in food distribution and policy in the Faculties of Management and Agriculture at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Before joining Dalhousie, he was affiliated with the University of Guelph’s Arrell Food Institute, which he co-founded. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. Google Scholar ranks him as one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability.He has authored five books on global food systems, his most recent one published in 2017 by Wiley-Blackwell entitled “Food Safety, Risk Intelligence and Benchmarking”. He has also published over 500 peer-reviewed journal articles in several academic publications. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, including The Lancet, The Economist, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, BBC, NBC, ABC, Fox News, Foreign Affairs, the Globe & Mail, the National Post and the Toronto Star.Dr. Charlebois sits on a few company boards, and supports many organizations as a special advisor, including some publicly traded companies. Charlebois is also a member of the Scientific Council of the Business Scientific Institute, based in Luxemburg. Dr. Charlebois is a member of the Global Food Traceability Centre’s Advisory Board based in Washington DC, and a member of the National Scientific Committee of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in Ottawa.Michael LeBlanc is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada’s top retail industry podcast, The Voice of Retail, plus Global E-Commerce Tech Talks , The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois and now in its second season, Conversations with CommerceNext! You can learn more about Michael here or on LinkedIn. Be sure and check out Michael's latest venture for fun and influencer riches - Last Request Barbecue, his YouTube BBQ cooking channel! About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Visiting

Welcome to The Food Professor Season three, episode 4!We recoding this episode live together in Toronto at T3 Sheraton hotel - great to be together again in person for the show! First we start with a retrospect on the past two week discussion around grocery price freezes, and all the energy that went on in the media, industry, and government, and reflecting back on a particularly active week, what Sylvain takes away from all the discourse around the price of food, the people who sell it to consumers, and the people who sell it to the grocers?We also talk about the tradeoffs between first mover advantage and owing an industry-wide issue - putting yourself in the front window so to speak. Our excellent guest interview is with Yanick Gervais, President ad CEO of Olymel, the Canadian leader in producing, processing and marketing pork and poultry meat, with 15,000 employees serving the Canadian market and exporting products to over 65 countries. They have over 30 plants in five Canadian provinces. We then head south for a few minutes and talk about big grocery mergers…specifically, Krogers and Albertsons $25 billion U.S. deal - together would have 710,000 workers, 5,000 stores and sales greater than $200 billion with a B. Move it to No. 2 with 13.5% share versus Walmart’s 15.5%…What say you about the dynamics that created this deal, and thoughts on the likelihood that it will actually happen. They will spin 400 stores and create a new rival to get past antitrust …Our excellent guest interview is with Yanick Gervais, President ad CEO of Olymel, the Canadian leader in producing, processing and marketing pork and poultry meat, with 15,000 employees serving the Canadian market and exporting products to over 65 countries. They have over 30 plants in five Canadian provinces. Lastly we talk about spooky halloween research, and Alberta's new premier and their agricultural sector. About YanickYanick Gervais was appointed President and CEO of Olymel on November 11, 2021. He succeeded Réjean Nadeau, who passed away on October 14 of the same year after leading the company for nearly a quarter of a century. When La Fernandière was acquired in 2016, Yanick Gervais joined Olymel and first became Vice President and General Manager of this new division, which focuses on the production of fresh sausages.In 2018, Yanick Gervais was appointed Senior Vice President, Operations, in addition to overseeing the Engineering and Logistics departments. In this capacity, he had the key responsibility to oversee the operations of more than 30 plants located mainly in Quebec, but also in four other Canadian provinces. Before joining Olymel, Yanick Gervais was co-owner and general manager of La Fernandière for over 10 years. He was the grandson of one of its founders.Trained as an accountant and tax specialist, Yanick Gervais previously worked with the accounting firm Dessureault, Leblanc, Lefebvre, C.A. from 2001 to 2005. He has been very active on various committees related to the chartered accountancy profession, particularly on training and recognition of the next generation of chartered accountants. Yanick Gervais volunteers for several charitable organizations and is very involved in his community. He holds a graduate diploma and a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, as well as a master’s degree in taxation (MTax) from the Université de Sherbrooke.About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor in food distribution and policy in the Faculties of Management and Agriculture at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Before joining Dalhousie, he was affiliated with the University of Guelph’s Arrell Food Institute, which he co-founded. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. Google Scholar ranks him as one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability.He has authored five books on global food systems, his most recent one published in 2017 by Wiley-Blackwell entitled “Food Safety, Risk Intelligence and Benchmarking”. He has also published over 500 peer-reviewed journal articles in several academic publications. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, including The Lancet, The Economist, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, BBC, NBC, ABC, Fox News, Foreign Affairs, the Globe & Mail, the National Post and the Toronto Star.Dr. Charlebois sits on a few company boards, and supports many organizations as a special advisor, including some publicly traded companies. Charlebois is also a member of the Scientific Council of the Business Scientific Institute, based in Luxemburg. Dr. Charlebois is a member of the Global Food Traceability Centre’s Advisory Board based in Washington DC, and a mem

Highlights from this episode: Ottawa's price gouging investigation, supply chain task force report and special guest Jane Dummer We open the show with a discussion about the Thanksgiving Holiday - best gravy ever, and Sylvain's love for the hot new trend, butter boards! On a more serious and helpful level, Sylvain has joined joined the BOD of Second Harvest with our season one guest Lori Nikkel. Why and what is ahead for Second Harvest?A reminder to the listeners that we’ll be together live podcasting from the Coffee Association of Canada’s annual conference, The Road Ahead, November 14th - will put a link in the show notes - run, don’t walk to get your tickets todayI’m just back from Las Vegas and the big NACS show and share my experiences - a look at the convenience store industry and I had the opportunity to speak with S1 guest and friend of the show Cara Keating from Pepsico - former president of the Canadian business - now chief customer officer of Frito Lay North America - a graduate btw of University of Saskatchewan so we know she is hard working in addition to being super smart - and breaking news will be a guest on the show later in the seasonBig report just out from the federal government - National Supply Chain Task Force - I know the lab supported the report, you are thanked specifically in the report, a whole cast of characters testified - RCC, CFIG, Sobeys, tell the listeners about the report and perhaps a summary of its findings - it would seem when it comes to the supply chain actors the total is not greater than the sum of its parts Loblaw driverless trucks signal the beginning of a new age - you see a more interesting road ahead for the food industry - say more…. Alright lets get to our great interview with Jane Dummer and hear what she has to say about the state of food innovation in North America …and so Canada’s three big supermarket chains will face a parliamentary inquiry into whether they have been exploiting surging inflation to boost their profits, adding a fresh chapter to the big grocers’ protracted public relations struggle. The House of Commons agriculture committee voted unanimously in favour of a motion to summon grocery executives to Parliament Hill to explain why “large chains are making profits” while shoppers face the worst food retail inflation in four decades . f you enjoyed this episode your probably listening on a major podcasting platform, About JaneJane founded her consulting company in 1996 with the mission to develop client focused solutions from the pod to plate. A well-respected thought leader in the food industry with credentials as a Registered Dietitian and Nutrition Science degree from University of Guelph (Canada’s leading food university), Jane is the Real Deal. Jane and her team’s education, expertise and industry knowledge maximize their capacity to strategize, innovate and communicate customized solutions to accelerate business growth from the pod to plate. With over 60 successful projects, Jane and her team partner with North American food and beverage companies in the agriculture, nutrition and health sectors to build creative solutions that deliver results. A speaker, author and writer, Jane is a frequent guest and commentator in the media circuit with over 250 insightful interviews, presentations, articles and blogs. Here are my social links:LinkedIn https://ca.linkedin.com/in/janedummerTwitter - https://twitter.com/janedummerInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/janedummer_rd/Website - www.janedummer.comAbout UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor in food distribution and policy in the Faculties of Management and Agriculture at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Before joining Dalhousie, he was affiliated with the University of Guelph’s Arrell Food Institute, which he co-founded. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. Google Scholar ranks him as one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability.He has authored five books on global food systems, his most recent one published in 2017 by Wiley-Blackwell entitled “Food Safety, Risk Intelligence and Benchmarking”. He has also published over 500 peer-reviewed journal articles in several academic publications. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, including The Lancet, The Economist, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, BBC, NBC, ABC, Fox News, Foreign Affairs, the Globe & Mail, the National Post and the Toronto Star.Dr. Charlebois sits on a few company boards, and supports many organizations as a special advisor, including some publicly traded companies. Charlebois is also a member of the Scientific Council of the Business Scientific Institute, based in Luxemburg. Dr. Charlebo

Sylvain living his life at the eye of the storm this past weekend as Atlantic Canada got pummelled by an epic storm - and we talk about another storm, his call out for grocers to freeze pricing…Our special guest on this episode is based in PEI, Peter McLaughlin President and Managing Partner at ANNE of Green Gables Chocolates A reminder to everyone we will podcasting live and interviewing a whole slate of guests at the upcoming Coffee Association of Canada Conference, in Toronto at the Globe and Mail Centre….November 14…..get your tickets today and come by and say hi We update the listeners on the global food impacts of the Ukraine war - from a food perspective some grains have flowed out of their ports - but take us through the state of fertilizer, your level of concern for Africa and the middle east, Europe, and overall the global supply of grains etc.About PeterPeter McLaughlin was born on Prince Edward Island, one of the four Atlantic provinces in eastern Canada. He earned his BS degree from St. Francis Xavier University and his master’s degree from the University of New Brunswick. From 2016 to 2018, he was president of Interbake Foods in Richmond, Virginia, a leading North American private-label biscuit, cracker, baked dairy products, and filling equipment manufacturer. He was with Loblaw Companies Limited, Canada’s largest food retailer with food distribution divisions across the country, for nearly 20 years. He was president, Emerging Business Division and senior vice president of several businesses including National Wholesale and Deli, Home Meal Replacement & Bakery. From 2012 – 2016, he chaired Loblaw’s Diversity and Inclusion Council. Peter and his wife, Niki, have two sons, Riley (age 21) and Brogan (age 19) and a daughter, Bayley (age 18).About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor in food distribution and policy in the Faculties of Management and Agriculture at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Before joining Dalhousie, he was affiliated with the University of Guelph’s Arrell Food Institute, which he co-founded. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. Google Scholar ranks him as one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability.He has authored five books on global food systems, his most recent one published in 2017 by Wiley-Blackwell entitled “Food Safety, Risk Intelligence and Benchmarking”. He has also published over 500 peer-reviewed journal articles in several academic publications. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, including The Lancet, The Economist, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, BBC, NBC, ABC, Fox News, Foreign Affairs, the Globe & Mail, the National Post and the Toronto Star.Dr. Charlebois sits on a few company boards, and supports many organizations as a special advisor, including some publicly traded companies. Charlebois is also a member of the Scientific Council of the Business Scientific Institute, based in Luxemburg. Dr. Charlebois is a member of the Global Food Traceability Centre’s Advisory Board based in Washington DC, and a member of the National Scientific Committee of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in Ottawa.Michael LeBlanc is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada’s top retail industry podcast, The Voice of Retail, plus Global E-Commerce Tech Talks , The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois and now in its second season, Conversations with CommerceNext! You can learn more about Michael here or on LinkedIn. Be sure and check out Michael's latest venture for fun and influencer riches - Last Request Barbecue, his YouTube BBQ cooking channel! About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Visiting Professor in Food Policy and Distribution at McGill University and a Professor in Food Distribution and Policy in the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University.Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. He is one of the world’s most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability with over 775 published peer-reviewed journal articles. Dr. Charlebois is also an editor for the prestigious Trends in Food Science Technology journal. He co-hosts T

Our season three premier! Well we are back, live on the mic, Sylvain is back in Halifax teaching at Dalhousie University after being a visiting scholar in Florida We have a great season premier episode with our very special guest Tamara Rebanks - chair of the Homegrown Innovation Challenge Taskforce, director at Weston Family FoundationNow before we jump in we wanted to dedicate this episode to our friend and colleague Xavier Poncin who sadly passed away this summer while we were on hiatus - a great supporter of food innovation in Canada. We were chatting last week with the folks at SIAL, which will be in Toronto May 9th 2023 - again we’ll be the official podcastWhere on earth can we start…well lets start with the important stuff…after much discussion and encouragement…you watched Breaking Bad! Now, say my name! Okay, you have a new book coming out La Révolution des protéines and your last book Poutine Nation was nominated for an awardWell its September, and the price of Dairy has gone up again, the result of a rare twice in a year ask for price increases…over the summer what did you learn about the data behind this latest round of price increases, and where are we at todayWhat are you thoughts around U.S. firms like Driscolls growing berries in Canada…running out of water in the US…why can’t we just do that?Government policy and farmland…this has come up twice, once with a fertilizer policy and second this weekend in the Globe & Mail talking about an opportunity …What research from the lab did we miss, and what is coming up?Grocers don’t make too much money after all…. Tamara Rebanks - chair of the Homegrown Innovation Challenge Taskforce, director at Weston Family FoundationAbout TamaraTamara is a skilled funder with over 25 years of experience working with charities. She has worked on both sides of not-for-profits in Canada, the US, and the UK, and understands the challenges of raising funds for worthy initiatives as well as the pleasure of developing strategic philanthropic goals and executing them.She managed the corporate donations of George Weston Limited and Weston Foods for nearly twenty years and chaired the Weston Family Foundation, one of Canada’s largest private foundations. Tamara is the current chair of the Homegrown Innovation Challenge Taskforce, created and funded by the Weston Family Foundation and sits on the Advisory Board of the Faculty of Land and Food Systems at UBC, as well as the boards of Massey Hall and Roy Thomson Hall and Park People.About UsDr. Sylvain CharleboisDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor in food distribution and policy in the Faculties of Management and Agriculture at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Before joining Dalhousie, he was affiliated with the University of Guelph’s Arrell Food Institute, which he co-founded. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. Google Scholar ranks him as one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability.He has authored five books on global food systems, his most recent one published in 2017 by Wiley-Blackwell entitled “Food Safety, Risk Intelligence and Benchmarking”. He has also published over 500 peer-reviewed journal articles in several academic publications. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, including The Lancet, The Economist, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, BBC, NBC, ABC, Fox News, Foreign Affairs, the Globe & Mail, the National Post and the Toronto Star.Dr. Charlebois sits on a few company boards, and supports many organizations as a special advisor, including some publicly traded companies. Charlebois is also a member of the Scientific Council of the Business Scientific Institute, based in Luxemburg. Dr. Charlebois is a member of the Global Food Traceability Centre’s Advisory Board based in Washington DC, and a member of the National Scientific Committee of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in Ottawa.Michael LeBlanc is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada’s top retail industry podcast, The Voice of Retail, plus Global E-Commerce Tech Talks , The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois and now in its second season, Conversations with CommerceNext! You can learn more about Michael here or on LinkedIn. Be sure and check out Michael's latest venture for fun and influencer riches - Last Request Barbecue, his YouTube BBQ cooking ch

Welcome to a special bonus episode celebrating the 29th ANNUAL CANADIAN GRAND PRIX NEW PRODUCT AWARDSSylvain and I are thrilled to be a sponsor of these prestigious awards for the third year in a row and have the chance to hand out the hardware on the stage to the winners in person for the first time!We had the opportunity to meet and get to know many fantastic food innovators and entrepreneurs, creators and makers - from consumer brands to private retail labels. These are their stories.In this episode, meet Karen Proper, Sr. Product Developer, Maple Lodge Farms Thanks for joining us on this special bonus episode of The Food Professor. Stay tuned for plenty of great interviews of the finalists from the Retail Council of Canada's Canadian Grand Prix New Product Awards. And stay tuned for our regular full-length episodes available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google - wherever you enjoy your podcasts today. About UsDr. Sylvain CharleboisDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor in food distribution and policy in the Faculties of Management and Agriculture at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Before joining Dalhousie, he was affiliated with the University of Guelph’s Arrell Food Institute, which he co-founded. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. Google Scholar ranks him as one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability.He has authored five books on global food systems, his most recent one published in 2017 by Wiley-Blackwell entitled “Food Safety, Risk Intelligence and Benchmarking”. He has also published over 500 peer-reviewed journal articles in several academic publications. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, including The Lancet, The Economist, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, BBC, NBC, ABC, Fox News, Foreign Affairs, the Globe & Mail, the National Post and the Toronto Star.Dr. Charlebois sits on a few company boards, and supports many organizations as a special advisor, including some publicly traded companies. Charlebois is also a member of the Scientific Council of the Business Scientific Institute, based in Luxemburg. Dr. Charlebois is a member of the Global Food Traceability Centre’s Advisory Board based in Washington DC, and a member of the National Scientific Committee of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in Ottawa. About MichaelMichael LeBlanc is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada’s top retail industry podcast, The Voice of Retail, plus Global E-Commerce Tech Talks , The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois and now in its second season, Conversations with CommerceNext! You can learn more about Michael here or on LinkedIn. Be sure and check out Michael's latest adventure for fun and influencer riches - Last Request Barbecue, his YouTube BBQ cooking channel! About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Visiting Professor in Food Policy and Distribution at McGill University and a Professor in Food Distribution and Policy in the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University.Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. He is one of the world’s most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability with over 775 published peer-reviewed journal articles. Dr. Charlebois is also an editor for the prestigious Trends in Food Science Technology journal. He co-hosts The Food Professor podcast, discussing issues in the food, foodservice, grocery and restaurant industries and which is the most listened Canadian management podcast in Canada. Every year since 2012, he has published the now highly anticipated Canadian Food Price Report, which provides an overview of food price trends for the coming year. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, nationally as well as internationally. He has testified on several occasions before parliamentary committees on food policy-related issues as an expert witness. He has been asked to act as an advisor on food and agricultural policies in many Canadian provinces and other countries.With extensive experience collaborating with businesses, governments, and NGOs, Dr. Charlebois combines academic rigo

Welcome to another special SIAL bonus episodes of The Food Professor podcast!Sylvain and I were thrilled to be the official podcast of the SIAL food innovation trade show held in Montreal in April. We had the opportunity to meet and get to know many food innovators and entrepreneurs, creators and makers from many facets of the food industry. These are their stories.In this final SIAL bonus episode of the series meet House of Exte, Premium Olive Oils and Balsamic VinegarsCheck out the winners of the food innovation awards: https://sialcanada.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/CP-Gagnant-Innovation-2022-EN.pdfThanks for joining us on this special bonus episode of The Food Professor. Stay tuned for plenty of great interviews from our podcast studio on the trade show floor in Montreal at SIAL, and stay tuned for our regular full length episodes available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google - wherever you enjoy your podcasts today. About UsDr. Sylvain CharleboisDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor in food distribution and policy in the Faculties of Management and Agriculture at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Before joining Dalhousie, he was affiliated with the University of Guelph’s Arrell Food Institute, which he co-founded. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. Google Scholar ranks him as one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability.He has authored five books on global food systems, his most recent one published in 2017 by Wiley-Blackwell entitled “Food Safety, Risk Intelligence and Benchmarking”. He has also published over 500 peer-reviewed journal articles in several academic publications. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, including The Lancet, The Economist, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, BBC, NBC, ABC, Fox News, Foreign Affairs, the Globe & Mail, the National Post and the Toronto Star.Dr. Charlebois sits on a few company boards, and supports many organizations as a special advisor, including some publicly traded companies. Charlebois is also a member of the Scientific Council of the Business Scientific Institute, based in Luxemburg. Dr. Charlebois is a member of the Global Food Traceability Centre’s Advisory Board based in Washington DC, and a member of the National Scientific Committee of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in Ottawa.Michael LeBlanc is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada’s top retail industry podcast, The Voice of Retail, plus Global E-Commerce Tech Talks , The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois and now in its second season, Conversations with CommerceNext! You can learn more about Michael here or on LinkedIn. Be sure and check out Michael's latest adventure for fun and influencer riches - Last Request Barbecue, his YouTube BBQ cooking channel! About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Visiting Professor in Food Policy and Distribution at McGill University and a Professor in Food Distribution and Policy in the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University.Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. He is one of the world’s most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability with over 775 published peer-reviewed journal articles. Dr. Charlebois is also an editor for the prestigious Trends in Food Science Technology journal. He co-hosts The Food Professor podcast, discussing issues in the food, foodservice, grocery and restaurant industries and which is the most listened Canadian management podcast in Canada. Every year since 2012, he has published the now highly anticipated Canadian Food Price Report, which provides an overview of food price trends for the coming year. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, nationally as well as internationally. He has testified on several occasions before parliamentary committees on food policy-related issues as an expert witness. He has been asked to act as an advisor on food and agricultural policies in many Canadian provinces and other countries.With extensive experience collaborating with businesses, governments, and NGOs, Dr. Charlebois combines academic

Welcome to a special bonus episode celebrating the 29th ANNUAL CANADIAN GRAND PRIX NEW PRODUCT AWARDSSylvain and I are thrilled to be a sponsor of these prestigious awards for the third year in a row and have the chance to hand out the hardware on the stage to the winners in person for the first time!We had the opportunity to meet and get to know many fantastic food innovators and entrepreneurs, creators and makers - from consumer brands to private retail labels. These are their stories.In this episode, meet Paula Deane, Director, Corporate Brands Product Development at Metro Inc.Thanks for joining us on this special bonus episode of The Food Professor. Stay tuned for plenty of great interviews of the finalists from the Retail Council of Canada's Canadian Grand Prix New Product Awards. And stay tuned for our regular full-length episodes available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google - wherever you enjoy your podcasts today. About PaulaA passionate, strategic and results driven leader with an exemplary track record of successfully achieving or exceeding corporate objectives in retail, consumer packaged goods and supply sectors. An innovative and solution focused executive with a proven ability of leading initiatives from concept to execution, developing process improvements and cultivating collaborative and productive business relationships across all levels within and outside of an organization. Expertise:* Product Development* Brand development* Quality Assurance and Regulatory Compliance* Product and Category Management* Retail Management* Process Development & Improvement* Vendor Negotiation & ManagementAbout UsDr. Sylvain CharleboisDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor in food distribution and policy in the Faculties of Management and Agriculture at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Before joining Dalhousie, he was affiliated with the University of Guelph’s Arrell Food Institute, which he co-founded. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. Google Scholar ranks him as one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability.He has authored five books on global food systems, his most recent one published in 2017 by Wiley-Blackwell entitled “Food Safety, Risk Intelligence and Benchmarking”. He has also published over 500 peer-reviewed journal articles in several academic publications. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, including The Lancet, The Economist, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, BBC, NBC, ABC, Fox News, Foreign Affairs, the Globe & Mail, the National Post and the Toronto Star.Dr. Charlebois sits on a few company boards, and supports many organizations as a special advisor, including some publicly traded companies. Charlebois is also a member of the Scientific Council of the Business Scientific Institute, based in Luxemburg. Dr. Charlebois is a member of the Global Food Traceability Centre’s Advisory Board based in Washington DC, and a member of the National Scientific Committee of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in Ottawa. About MichaelMichael LeBlanc is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada’s top retail industry podcast, The Voice of Retail, plus Global E-Commerce Tech Talks , The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois and now in its second season, Conversations with CommerceNext! You can learn more about Michael here or on LinkedIn. Be sure and check out Michael's latest adventure for fun and influencer riches - Last Request Barbecue, his YouTube BBQ cooking channel! About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Visiting Professor in Food Policy and Distribution at McGill University and a Professor in Food Distribution and Policy in the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University.Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. He is one of the world’s most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability with over 775 published peer-reviewed journal articles. Dr. Charlebois is also an editor for the prestigious Trends in Food Science Technology journal. He co-hosts The Food Professor podcast, discussing issues in the food, foodservice, grocery and restaurant industries and whi

Welcome to another special SIAL bonus episodes of The Food Professor podcast!Sylvain and I were thrilled to be the official podcast of the SIAL food innovation trade show held in Montreal in April. We had the opportunity to meet and get to know many food innovators and entrepreneurs, creators and makers from many facets of the food industry. These are their stories.In this episode: Meet Patrick Griffin, Owner, The Oat Company Thanks for joining us on this special bonus episode of The Food Professor. Stay tuned for plenty of great interviews from our podcast studio on the trade show floor in Montreal at SIAL, and stay tuned for our regular full length episodes available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google - wherever you enjoy your podcasts today. About UsDr. Sylvain CharleboisDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor in food distribution and policy in the Faculties of Management and Agriculture at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Before joining Dalhousie, he was affiliated with the University of Guelph’s Arrell Food Institute, which he co-founded. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. Google Scholar ranks him as one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability.He has authored five books on global food systems, his most recent one published in 2017 by Wiley-Blackwell entitled “Food Safety, Risk Intelligence and Benchmarking”. He has also published over 500 peer-reviewed journal articles in several academic publications. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, including The Lancet, The Economist, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, BBC, NBC, ABC, Fox News, Foreign Affairs, the Globe & Mail, the National Post and the Toronto Star.Dr. Charlebois sits on a few company boards, and supports many organizations as a special advisor, including some publicly traded companies. Charlebois is also a member of the Scientific Council of the Business Scientific Institute, based in Luxemburg. Dr. Charlebois is a member of the Global Food Traceability Centre’s Advisory Board based in Washington DC, and a member of the National Scientific Committee of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in Ottawa.Michael LeBlanc is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada’s top retail industry podcast, The Voice of Retail, plus Global E-Commerce Tech Talks , The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois and now in its second season, Conversations with CommerceNext! You can learn more about Michael here or on LinkedIn. Be sure and check out Michael's latest adventure for fun and influencer riches - Last Request Barbecue, his YouTube BBQ cooking channel! About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Visiting Professor in Food Policy and Distribution at McGill University and a Professor in Food Distribution and Policy in the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University.Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. He is one of the world’s most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability with over 775 published peer-reviewed journal articles. Dr. Charlebois is also an editor for the prestigious Trends in Food Science Technology journal. He co-hosts The Food Professor podcast, discussing issues in the food, foodservice, grocery and restaurant industries and which is the most listened Canadian management podcast in Canada. Every year since 2012, he has published the now highly anticipated Canadian Food Price Report, which provides an overview of food price trends for the coming year. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, nationally as well as internationally. He has testified on several occasions before parliamentary committees on food policy-related issues as an expert witness. He has been asked to act as an advisor on food and agricultural policies in many Canadian provinces and other countries.With extensive experience collaborating with businesses, governments, and NGOs, Dr. Charlebois combines academic rigor with practical expertise, making him one of the most influential voices in the global agri-food landscape. His work continues to advance the understanding of food systems, fos

Welcome to another special SIAL bonus episodes of The Food Professor podcast!Sylvain and I were thrilled to be the official podcast of the SIAL food innovation trade show held in Montreal in April. We had the opportunity to meet and get to know many food innovators and entrepreneurs, creators and makers from many facets of the food industry. These are their stories.In this episode: Meet Laurent Dallaire, CEO InnodalCheck out the winners of the food innovation awards: https://sialcanada.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/CP-Gagnant-Innovation-2022-EN.pdfThanks for joining us on this special bonus episode of The Food Professor. Stay tuned for plenty of great interviews from our podcast studio on the trade show floor in Montreal at SIAL, and stay tuned for our regular full length episodes available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google - wherever you enjoy your podcasts today. About UsDr. Sylvain CharleboisDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor in food distribution and policy in the Faculties of Management and Agriculture at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Before joining Dalhousie, he was affiliated with the University of Guelph’s Arrell Food Institute, which he co-founded. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. Google Scholar ranks him as one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability.He has authored five books on global food systems, his most recent one published in 2017 by Wiley-Blackwell entitled “Food Safety, Risk Intelligence and Benchmarking”. He has also published over 500 peer-reviewed journal articles in several academic publications. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, including The Lancet, The Economist, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, BBC, NBC, ABC, Fox News, Foreign Affairs, the Globe & Mail, the National Post and the Toronto Star.Dr. Charlebois sits on a few company boards, and supports many organizations as a special advisor, including some publicly traded companies. Charlebois is also a member of the Scientific Council of the Business Scientific Institute, based in Luxemburg. Dr. Charlebois is a member of the Global Food Traceability Centre’s Advisory Board based in Washington DC, and a member of the National Scientific Committee of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in Ottawa.Michael LeBlanc is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada’s top retail industry podcast, The Voice of Retail, plus Global E-Commerce Tech Talks , The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois and now in its second season, Conversations with CommerceNext! You can learn more about Michael here or on LinkedIn. Be sure and check out Michael's latest adventure for fun and influencer riches - Last Request Barbecue, his YouTube BBQ cooking channel! About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Visiting Professor in Food Policy and Distribution at McGill University and a Professor in Food Distribution and Policy in the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University.Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. He is one of the world’s most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability with over 775 published peer-reviewed journal articles. Dr. Charlebois is also an editor for the prestigious Trends in Food Science Technology journal. He co-hosts The Food Professor podcast, discussing issues in the food, foodservice, grocery and restaurant industries and which is the most listened Canadian management podcast in Canada. Every year since 2012, he has published the now highly anticipated Canadian Food Price Report, which provides an overview of food price trends for the coming year. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, nationally as well as internationally. He has testified on several occasions before parliamentary committees on food policy-related issues as an expert witness. He has been asked to act as an advisor on food and agricultural policies in many Canadian provinces and other countries.With extensive experience collaborating with businesses, governments, and NGOs, Dr. Charlebois combines academic rigor with practical expertise, making him one of the mo

Welcome to another special SIAL bonus episodes of The Food Professor podcast!Sylvain and I were thrilled to be the official podcast of the SIAL food innovation trade show held in Montreal in April. We had the opportunity to meet and get to know many food innovators and entrepreneurs, creators and makers from many facets of the food industry. These are their stories.In this episode: Meet Isabelle Marquis, Senior Food Strategist Check out the winners of the food innovation awards: https://sialcanada.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/CP-Gagnant-Innovation-2022-EN.pdfThanks for joining us on this special bonus episode of The Food Professor. Stay tuned for plenty of great interviews from our podcast studio on the trade show floor in Montreal at SIAL, and stay tuned for our regular full length episodes available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google - wherever you enjoy your podcasts today. About UsDr. Sylvain CharleboisDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor in food distribution and policy in the Faculties of Management and Agriculture at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Before joining Dalhousie, he was affiliated with the University of Guelph’s Arrell Food Institute, which he co-founded. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. Google Scholar ranks him as one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability.He has authored five books on global food systems, his most recent one published in 2017 by Wiley-Blackwell entitled “Food Safety, Risk Intelligence and Benchmarking”. He has also published over 500 peer-reviewed journal articles in several academic publications. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, including The Lancet, The Economist, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, BBC, NBC, ABC, Fox News, Foreign Affairs, the Globe & Mail, the National Post and the Toronto Star.Dr. Charlebois sits on a few company boards, and supports many organizations as a special advisor, including some publicly traded companies. Charlebois is also a member of the Scientific Council of the Business Scientific Institute, based in Luxemburg. Dr. Charlebois is a member of the Global Food Traceability Centre’s Advisory Board based in Washington DC, and a member of the National Scientific Committee of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in Ottawa.Michael LeBlanc is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada’s top retail industry podcast, The Voice of Retail, plus Global E-Commerce Tech Talks , The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois and now in its second season, Conversations with CommerceNext! You can learn more about Michael here or on LinkedIn. Be sure and check out Michael's latest adventure for fun and influencer riches - Last Request Barbecue, his YouTube BBQ cooking channel! About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Visiting Professor in Food Policy and Distribution at McGill University and a Professor in Food Distribution and Policy in the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University.Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. He is one of the world’s most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability with over 775 published peer-reviewed journal articles. Dr. Charlebois is also an editor for the prestigious Trends in Food Science Technology journal. He co-hosts The Food Professor podcast, discussing issues in the food, foodservice, grocery and restaurant industries and which is the most listened Canadian management podcast in Canada. Every year since 2012, he has published the now highly anticipated Canadian Food Price Report, which provides an overview of food price trends for the coming year. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, nationally as well as internationally. He has testified on several occasions before parliamentary committees on food policy-related issues as an expert witness. He has been asked to act as an advisor on food and agricultural policies in many Canadian provinces and other countries.With extensive experience collaborating with businesses, governments, and NGOs, Dr. Charlebois combines academic rigor with practical expertise, making him o

Welcome to a special bonus episode celebrating the 29th ANNUAL CANADIAN GRAND PRIX NEW PRODUCT AWARDSSylvain and I are thrilled to be a sponsor of these prestigious awards for the third year in a row and have the chance to hand out the hardware on the stage to the winners in person for the first time!We had the opportunity to meet and get to know many fantastic food innovators and entrepreneurs, creators and makers - from consumer brands to private retail labels. These are their stories.In this episode, meet Mary Peluso, Director, Private Label Grocery, SobeysThanks for joining us on this special bonus episode of The Food Professor. Stay tuned for plenty of great interviews of the finalists from the Retail Council of Canada's Canadian Grand Prix New Product Awards. And stay tuned for our regular full-length episodes available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google - wherever you enjoy your podcasts today. About MaryA highly motivated, energetic individual with an extensive background in buying, planning and omni merchandising. I have led successful teams in both the retail and wholesale markets. My diverse background has given me commodity experience in all industries including : health and beauty, grocery and hardlines.About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois Dr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor in food distribution and policy in the Faculties of Management and Agriculture at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Before joining Dalhousie, he was affiliated with the University of Guelph’s Arrell Food Institute, which he co-founded. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. Google Scholar ranks him as one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability. He has authored five books on global food systems, his most recent one published in 2017 by Wiley-Blackwell entitled “Food Safety, Risk Intelligence and Benchmarking”. He has also published over 500 peer-reviewed journal articles in several academic publications. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, including The Lancet, The Economist, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, BBC, NBC, ABC, Fox News, Foreign Affairs, the Globe & Mail, the National Post and the Toronto Star. Dr. Charlebois sits on a few company boards, and supports many organizations as a special advisor, including some publicly traded companies. Charlebois is also a member of the Scientific Council of the Business Scientific Institute, based in Luxemburg. Dr. Charlebois is a member of the Global Food Traceability Centre’s Advisory Board based in Washington DC, and a member of the National Scientific Committee of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in Ottawa. Michael LeBlanc is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada’s top retail industry podcast, The Voice of Retail, plus Global E-Commerce Tech Talks , The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois and now in its second season, Conversations with CommerceNext! You can learn more about Michael here or on LinkedIn. Be sure and check out Michael's latest adventure for fun and influencer riches - Last Request Barbecue, his YouTube BBQ cooking channel! About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Visiting Professor in Food Policy and Distribution at McGill University and a Professor in Food Distribution and Policy in the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University.Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. He is one of the world’s most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability with over 775 published peer-reviewed journal articles. Dr. Charlebois is also an editor for the prestigious Trends in Food Science Technology journal. He co-hosts The Food Professor podcast, discussing issues in the food, foodservice, grocery and restaurant industries and which is the most listened Canadian management podcast in Canada. Every year since 2012, he has published the now highly anticipated Canadian Food Price Report, which provides an overview of food price trends for the coming year. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, nationally as well as internationally. He has testified on several occasions before parlia

Welcome to a special bonus episode celebrating the 29th ANNUAL CANADIAN GRAND PRIX NEW PRODUCT AWARDSSylvain and I are thrilled to be a sponsor of these prestigious awards for the third year in a row and have the chance to hand out the hardware on the stage to the winners in person for the first time!We had the opportunity to meet and get to know many fantastic food innovators and entrepreneurs, creators and makers - from consumer brands to private retail labels. These are their stories.In this episode, meet Jim Delsnyder, Chief Operating Officer, Zoglo'sThanks for joining us on this special bonus episode of The Food Professor. Stay tuned for plenty of great interviews of the finalists from the Retail Council of Canada's Canadian Grand Prix New Product Awards. And stay tuned for our regular full-length episodes available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google - wherever you enjoy your podcasts today. About JimJim has been a leader in the Food and Beverage industry for more than 20 years. He was the former president of Eska Water Inc for 9 years and has worked at many other reputable companies such as Nestle Waters and Quaker Oats. About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois Dr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor in food distribution and policy in the Faculties of Management and Agriculture at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Before joining Dalhousie, he was affiliated with the University of Guelph’s Arrell Food Institute, which he co-founded. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. Google Scholar ranks him as one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability. He has authored five books on global food systems, his most recent one published in 2017 by Wiley-Blackwell entitled “Food Safety, Risk Intelligence and Benchmarking”. He has also published over 500 peer-reviewed journal articles in several academic publications. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, including The Lancet, The Economist, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, BBC, NBC, ABC, Fox News, Foreign Affairs, the Globe & Mail, the National Post and the Toronto Star. Dr. Charlebois sits on a few company boards, and supports many organizations as a special advisor, including some publicly traded companies. Charlebois is also a member of the Scientific Council of the Business Scientific Institute, based in Luxemburg. Dr. Charlebois is a member of the Global Food Traceability Centre’s Advisory Board based in Washington DC, and a member of the National Scientific Committee of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in Ottawa. Michael LeBlanc is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada’s top retail industry podcast, The Voice of Retail, plus Global E-Commerce Tech Talks , The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois and now in its second season, Conversations with CommerceNext! You can learn more about Michael here or on LinkedIn. Be sure and check out Michael's latest adventure for fun and influencer riches - Last Request Barbecue, his YouTube BBQ cooking channel! About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Visiting Professor in Food Policy and Distribution at McGill University and a Professor in Food Distribution and Policy in the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University.Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. He is one of the world’s most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability with over 775 published peer-reviewed journal articles. Dr. Charlebois is also an editor for the prestigious Trends in Food Science Technology journal. He co-hosts The Food Professor podcast, discussing issues in the food, foodservice, grocery and restaurant industries and which is the most listened Canadian management podcast in Canada. Every year since 2012, he has published the now highly anticipated Canadian Food Price Report, which provides an overview of food price trends for the coming year. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, nationally as well as internationally. He has testified on several occasions before parliamentary committees on food policy-related issues as an expert witness. He has been asked to

Welcome to another special SIAL bonus episodes of The Food Professor podcast!Sylvain and I were thrilled to be the official podcast of the SIAL food innovation trade show held in Montreal in April. We had the opportunity to meet and get to know many food innovators and entrepreneurs, creators and makers from many facets of the food industry. These are their stories.In this episode: Meet Sylvain Roux, CEO, and Philippe Begin, Vice President, Dauphinais Thanks for joining us on this special bonus episode of The Food Professor. Stay tuned for plenty of great interviews from our podcast studio on the trade show floor in Montreal at SIAL, and stay tuned for our regular full length episodes available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google - wherever you enjoy your podcasts today. About UsDr. Sylvain CharleboisDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor in food distribution and policy in the Faculties of Management and Agriculture at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Before joining Dalhousie, he was affiliated with the University of Guelph’s Arrell Food Institute, which he co-founded. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. Google Scholar ranks him as one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability.He has authored five books on global food systems, his most recent one published in 2017 by Wiley-Blackwell entitled “Food Safety, Risk Intelligence and Benchmarking”. He has also published over 500 peer-reviewed journal articles in several academic publications. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, including The Lancet, The Economist, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, BBC, NBC, ABC, Fox News, Foreign Affairs, the Globe & Mail, the National Post and the Toronto Star.Dr. Charlebois sits on a few company boards, and supports many organizations as a special advisor, including some publicly traded companies. Charlebois is also a member of the Scientific Council of the Business Scientific Institute, based in Luxemburg. Dr. Charlebois is a member of the Global Food Traceability Centre’s Advisory Board based in Washington DC, and a member of the National Scientific Committee of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in Ottawa.Michael LeBlanc is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada’s top retail industry podcast, The Voice of Retail, plus Global E-Commerce Tech Talks , The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois and now in its second season, Conversations with CommerceNext! You can learn more about Michael here or on LinkedIn. Be sure and check out Michael's latest adventure for fun and influencer riches - Last Request Barbecue, his YouTube BBQ cooking channel! About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Visiting Professor in Food Policy and Distribution at McGill University and a Professor in Food Distribution and Policy in the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University.Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. He is one of the world’s most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability with over 775 published peer-reviewed journal articles. Dr. Charlebois is also an editor for the prestigious Trends in Food Science Technology journal. He co-hosts The Food Professor podcast, discussing issues in the food, foodservice, grocery and restaurant industries and which is the most listened Canadian management podcast in Canada. Every year since 2012, he has published the now highly anticipated Canadian Food Price Report, which provides an overview of food price trends for the coming year. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, nationally as well as internationally. He has testified on several occasions before parliamentary committees on food policy-related issues as an expert witness. He has been asked to act as an advisor on food and agricultural policies in many Canadian provinces and other countries.With extensive experience collaborating with businesses, governments, and NGOs, Dr. Charlebois combines academic rigor with practical expertise, making him one of the most influential voices in the global agri-food landscape. His work continues to advance the understa

Welcome to a special bonus episode celebrating the 29th ANNUAL CANADIAN GRAND PRIX NEW PRODUCT AWARDSSylvain and I are thrilled to be a sponsor of these prestigious awards for the third year in a row and have the chance to hand out the hardware on the stage to the winners in person for the first time!We had the opportunity to meet and get to know many fantastic food innovators and entrepreneurs, creators and makers - from consumer brands to private retail labels. These are their stories.In this episode, meet Canadian Grand Prix New Product Awards Finalist Bonus episode: Meet Rob Sengotta and Landon Kroeker, Von Slick's Finishing TouchThanks for joining us on this special bonus episode of The Food Professor. Stay tuned for plenty of great interviews of the finalists from the Retail Council of Canada's Canadian Grand Prix New Product Awards. And stay tuned for our regular full-length episodes available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google - wherever you enjoy your podcasts today. About Rob Sengotta and Landon KroekerThe Man Behind the Flavour: RobMy 25 year culinary career has been an experience filled with adventure and growth. From world travel to building amazing relationships and pushing myself out of my comfort zone to continue to master my craft.I’ve had the privilege of cooking on private yachts, fine dining trains, even at a Helicopter ski resort. Working with some of the best chefs in Europe and Canada along the way.From Michelin star restaurants in England and France, to spending time as a private chef in Whistler and Vancouver and finally owning my own fine dining restaurant for 10 years in British Columbia’s beautiful Shuswap region.Using compound butters in fine dining is a common occurrence to bring bold flavour to your dish, as well as create dish consistency. Yet it can be difficult to find the product on the retail level.From a home cook to professional chef, Von Slick’s has the ability to deliver a new level of restaurant quality flavour to any of your home-cooked meals. About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois Dr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor in food distribution and policy in the Faculties of Management and Agriculture at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Before joining Dalhousie, he was affiliated with the University of Guelph’s Arrell Food Institute, which he co-founded. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. Google Scholar ranks him as one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability. He has authored five books on global food systems, his most recent one published in 2017 by Wiley-Blackwell entitled “Food Safety, Risk Intelligence and Benchmarking”. He has also published over 500 peer-reviewed journal articles in several academic publications. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, including The Lancet, The Economist, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, BBC, NBC, ABC, Fox News, Foreign Affairs, the Globe & Mail, the National Post and the Toronto Star. Dr. Charlebois sits on a few company boards, and supports many organizations as a special advisor, including some publicly traded companies. Charlebois is also a member of the Scientific Council of the Business Scientific Institute, based in Luxemburg. Dr. Charlebois is a member of the Global Food Traceability Centre’s Advisory Board based in Washington DC, and a member of the National Scientific Committee of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in Ottawa. Michael LeBlanc is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada’s top retail industry podcast, The Voice of Retail, plus Global E-Commerce Tech Talks , The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois and now in its second season, Conversations with CommerceNext! You can learn more about Michael here or on LinkedIn. Be sure and check out Michael's latest adventure for fun and influencer riches - Last Request Barbecue, his YouTube BBQ cooking channel! About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Visiting Professor in Food Policy and Distribution at McGill University and a Professor in Food Distribution and Policy in the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University.Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. He is one of the world’s mo

Welcome to another special SIAL bonus episodes of The Food Professor podcast!Sylvain and I were thrilled to be the official podcast of the SIAL food innovation trade show held in Montreal in April. We had the opportunity to meet and get to know many food innovators and entrepreneurs, creators and makers from many facets of the food industry. These are their stories.In this episode: Meet Gurth M. Pretty, SIAL Cheese Ambassador, Lakeview Cheese Galore Thanks for joining us on this special bonus episode of The Food Professor. Stay tuned for plenty of great interviews from our podcast studio on the trade show floor in Montreal at SIAL, and stay tuned for our regular full length episodes available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google - wherever you enjoy your podcasts today. About Gurth:I am a bilingual, passionate and knowledgeable cheese and sales professional, specializing in both Canadian and international cheese. My experiences include retail merchandising, sales analyses and review, category management, distribution, marketing, brand strategy, corporate training, co-ordinating special events, media spokesman, sales strategies, participating as a judge at international cheese competitions, recipe development, food costing, catering, vendor negotiation and problem solving.Gurth's Bookhttps://amzn.to/3NpDLPOGurth's Cheese Storehttps://lakeviewcheesegalore.ca/ About UsDr. Sylvain CharleboisDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor in food distribution and policy in the Faculties of Management and Agriculture at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Before joining Dalhousie, he was affiliated with the University of Guelph’s Arrell Food Institute, which he co-founded. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. Google Scholar ranks him as one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability.He has authored five books on global food systems, his most recent one published in 2017 by Wiley-Blackwell entitled “Food Safety, Risk Intelligence and Benchmarking”. He has also published over 500 peer-reviewed journal articles in several academic publications. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, including The Lancet, The Economist, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, BBC, NBC, ABC, Fox News, Foreign Affairs, the Globe & Mail, the National Post and the Toronto Star.Dr. Charlebois sits on a few company boards, and supports many organizations as a special advisor, including some publicly traded companies. Charlebois is also a member of the Scientific Council of the Business Scientific Institute, based in Luxemburg. Dr. Charlebois is a member of the Global Food Traceability Centre’s Advisory Board based in Washington DC, and a member of the National Scientific Committee of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in Ottawa.Michael LeBlanc is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada’s top retail industry podcast, The Voice of Retail, plus Global E-Commerce Tech Talks , The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois and now in its second season, Conversations with CommerceNext! You can learn more about Michael here or on LinkedIn. Be sure and check out Michael's latest adventure for fun and influencer riches - Last Request Barbecue, his YouTube BBQ cooking channel! About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Visiting Professor in Food Policy and Distribution at McGill University and a Professor in Food Distribution and Policy in the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University.Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. He is one of the world’s most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability with over 775 published peer-reviewed journal articles. Dr. Charlebois is also an editor for the prestigious Trends in Food Science Technology journal. He co-hosts The Food Professor podcast, discussing issues in the food, foodservice, grocery and restaurant industries and which is the most listened Canadian management podcast in Canada. Every year since 2012, he has published the now highly anticipated Canadian Food Price Report, which provides an overview of food price trends for the coming year. Furthermore, his research has been f

Welcome to a special bonus episode celebrating the 29th ANNUAL CANADIAN GRAND PRIX NEW PRODUCT AWARDSSylvain and I are thrilled to be a sponsor of these prestigious awards for the third year in a row and have the chance to hand out the hardware on the stage to the winners in person for the first time!We had the opportunity to meet and get to know many fantastic food innovators and entrepreneurs, creators and makers - from consumer brands to private retail labels. These are their stories.In this episode, meet Manisha (Mistry) Nagar, Private Brands Product Development Manager - Health & Wellness, Consumables, Baby & Pet, Walmart Thanks for joining us on this special bonus episode of The Food Professor. Stay tuned for plenty of great interviews of the finalists from the Retail Council of Canada's Canadian Grand Prix New Product Awards. And stay tuned for our regular full-length episodes available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google - wherever you enjoy your podcasts today. About Manisha:A quick learner with 15+ years of Product Development experience from both manufacturing and retail. Accustomed to multi-tasking in a fast-paced, and ever-changing environment.Strong leadership abilities with the ability to communicate, influence and negotiate at all levels. Excellent relationship builder. Always looking for opportunities to improve personally and professionally. Direct New Product Development & Continuous Improvement Ability to manage priorities, multitask and handle complex situations under pressure. Proven ability to prioritize and use time efficiently and effectively.  Problem Solver Analytical Skills Leadership & coaching abilities About UsDr. Sylvain CharleboisDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor in food distribution and policy in the Faculties of Management and Agriculture at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Before joining Dalhousie, he was affiliated with the University of Guelph’s Arrell Food Institute, which he co-founded. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. Google Scholar ranks him as one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability.He has authored five books on global food systems, his most recent one published in 2017 by Wiley-Blackwell entitled “Food Safety, Risk Intelligence and Benchmarking”. He has also published over 500 peer-reviewed journal articles in several academic publications. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, including The Lancet, The Economist, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, BBC, NBC, ABC, Fox News, Foreign Affairs, the Globe & Mail, the National Post and the Toronto Star.Dr. Charlebois sits on a few company boards, and supports many organizations as a special advisor, including some publicly traded companies. Charlebois is also a member of the Scientific Council of the Business Scientific Institute, based in Luxemburg. Dr. Charlebois is a member of the Global Food Traceability Centre’s Advisory Board based in Washington DC, and a member of the National Scientific Committee of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in Ottawa.Michael LeBlanc is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada’s top retail industry podcast, The Voice of Retail, plus Global E-Commerce Tech Talks , The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois and now in its second season, Conversations with CommerceNext! You can learn more about Michael here or on LinkedIn. Be sure and check out Michael's latest adventure for fun and influencer riches - Last Request Barbecue, his YouTube BBQ cooking channel! About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Visiting Professor in Food Policy and Distribution at McGill University and a Professor in Food Distribution and Policy in the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University.Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. He is one of the world’s most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability with over 775 published peer-reviewed journal articles. Dr. Charlebois is also an editor for the prestigious Trends in Food Science Technology journal. He co-hosts The Food Professor podcast, discussing issues in the food, foodservice, grocery and restauran

Welcome to another special SIAL bonus episodes of The Food Professor podcast!Sylvain and I were thrilled to be the official podcast of the SIAL food innovation trade show held in Montreal in April. We had the opportunity to meet and get to know many food innovators and entrepreneurs, creators and makers from many facets of the food industry. These are their stories.In this episode: Natasha Vandenhurk, CEO at Three Farmers Foods Thanks for joining us on this special bonus episode of The Food Professor. Stay tuned for plenty of great interviews from our podcast studio on the trade show floor in Montreal at SIAL, and stay tuned for our regular full length episodes available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google - wherever you enjoy your podcasts today. About Natasha:Natasha Vandenhurk is CEO and one of the initial founders at Three Farmers Foods. She studied Economics at the University of Saskatchewan before partnering with three farmers from Southeast Saskatchewan to realize a dream of taking healthy wholesome foods to the marketplace.Being CEO of a growing, natural foods brand has set Natasha on a journey of continuous learning and leadership. Her passion, dedication and tenacity has grown Three Farmers Foods from a young start up to a thriving international brand. As Three Farmers Foods continues to evolve into an established Consumer Packaged Goods brand, Natasha is adamant about building high performing teams throughout the organization that are dedicated to excellence, accountability and continual learning in this dynamically changing industry. About UsDr. Sylvain CharleboisDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor in food distribution and policy in the Faculties of Management and Agriculture at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Before joining Dalhousie, he was affiliated with the University of Guelph’s Arrell Food Institute, which he co-founded. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. Google Scholar ranks him as one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability.He has authored five books on global food systems, his most recent one published in 2017 by Wiley-Blackwell entitled “Food Safety, Risk Intelligence and Benchmarking”. He has also published over 500 peer-reviewed journal articles in several academic publications. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, including The Lancet, The Economist, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, BBC, NBC, ABC, Fox News, Foreign Affairs, the Globe & Mail, the National Post and the Toronto Star.Dr. Charlebois sits on a few company boards, and supports many organizations as a special advisor, including some publicly traded companies. Charlebois is also a member of the Scientific Council of the Business Scientific Institute, based in Luxemburg. Dr. Charlebois is a member of the Global Food Traceability Centre’s Advisory Board based in Washington DC, and a member of the National Scientific Committee of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in Ottawa.Michael LeBlanc is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada’s top retail industry podcast, The Voice of Retail, plus Global E-Commerce Tech Talks , The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois and now in its second season, Conversations with CommerceNext! You can learn more about Michael here or on LinkedIn. Be sure and check out Michael's latest adventure for fun and influencer riches - Last Request Barbecue, his YouTube BBQ cooking channel! About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Visiting Professor in Food Policy and Distribution at McGill University and a Professor in Food Distribution and Policy in the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University.Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. He is one of the world’s most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability with over 775 published peer-reviewed journal articles. Dr. Charlebois is also an editor for the prestigious Trends in Food Science Technology journal. He co-hosts The Food Professor podcast, discussing issues in the food, foodservice, grocery and restaurant industries and which is the most listened Canadian management podcast in Canada. Every y

Welcome to a special bonus episode celebrating the 29th ANNUAL CANADIAN GRAND PRIX NEW PRODUCT AWARDSSylvain and I are thrilled to be a sponsor of these prestigious awards for the third year in a row and have the chance to hand out the hardware on the stage to the winners in person for the first time!We had the opportunity to meet and get to know many fantastic food innovators and entrepreneurs, creators and makers - from consumer brands to private retail labels. These are their stories.In this episode, meet Mike Primucci, Mimi FoodsURL Mentioned in the podcast: https://chefduo.ca/ Thanks for joining us on this special bonus episode of The Food Professor. Stay tuned for plenty of great interviews of the finalists from the Retail Council of Canada's Canadian Grand Prix New Product Awards. And stay tuned for our regular full-length episodes available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google - wherever you enjoy your podcasts today. About Mike:MiMi Foods 'Artistic Dough Products'Dedicated to developing and delivering premium quality products and exceptional customer service through operational excellence, innovative product development, client training and support, excellence in food safety, and doing it all with ARTISTIC PASSION. BRC and HACCP Certified.SPECIALITIES: Pizza dough manufacturing and related pizza products consisting of:Pizza Dough Balls, Par-baked Crusts, Sheeted Doughs, Flatbreads, Ciabatta's, Focaccia's, Pinsa Romana, Panuozzo Breads, Gluten Free Products (Cauliflower, Red Lentil, Broccoli, Black Bean, Beetroot, Quinoa and Keto). Products available in various shapes, sizes and flavours.WHAT SETS UP APART is our ability to custom formulate products. Our R&D team works closely with our customers to develop and produce proprietary formulations such as the 2012 Canadian Grocery Grand Prix Winner for Innovation for the Focaccia Toscana product.PROUD developer and supplier for the pizza dough used in the 'Guinness World Record' for most pizza's made in one hour, held by Bob Blumer of the 'Glutton for Punishment' TV show.Link to article on MiMi Foods- Canadian Business Executive:http://edition.pagesuite-professional.co.uk/Launch.aspx?EID=e5608c2e-0380-481d-8180-e0fe91c03a77FOLLOW US ON TWITTER & INSTAGRAM ~ @mimifoodsLEARN MORE about MiMi Foods at www.mimifoods.caAbout UsDr. Sylvain CharleboisDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor in food distribution and policy in the Faculties of Management and Agriculture at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Before joining Dalhousie, he was affiliated with the University of Guelph’s Arrell Food Institute, which he co-founded. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. Google Scholar ranks him as one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability.He has authored five books on global food systems, his most recent one published in 2017 by Wiley-Blackwell entitled “Food Safety, Risk Intelligence and Benchmarking”. He has also published over 500 peer-reviewed journal articles in several academic publications. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, including The Lancet, The Economist, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, BBC, NBC, ABC, Fox News, Foreign Affairs, the Globe & Mail, the National Post and the Toronto Star.Dr. Charlebois sits on a few company boards, and supports many organizations as a special advisor, including some publicly traded companies. Charlebois is also a member of the Scientific Council of the Business Scientific Institute, based in Luxemburg. Dr. Charlebois is a member of the Global Food Traceability Centre’s Advisory Board based in Washington DC, and a member of the National Scientific Committee of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in Ottawa.Michael LeBlanc is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada’s top retail industry podcast, The Voice of Retail, plus Global E-Commerce Tech Talks , The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois and now in its second season, Conversations with CommerceNext! You can learn more about Michael here or on LinkedIn. Be sure and check out Michael's latest adventure for fun and influencer riches - Last Request Barbecue, his YouTube BBQ cooking channel! About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Visiting Professor in Food Policy and Distribution at McGill University and a Professor in Food Distribution and Policy in the Faculty of Management at Dalhou

Welcome to another special SIAL bonus episodes of The Food Professor podcast!Sylvain and I were thrilled to be the official podcast of the SIAL food innovation trade show held in Montreal in April; for many, the first in-person event since the COVID era began two years ago.We had the opportunity to meet and get to know many food innovators and entrepreneurs, creators and makers from many facets of the food industry. These are their stories.In this episode: Shawn Leggett, President/Founder at GroundUP Eco-VenturesGold Winner in SIAL's Innovation Awards Thanks for joining us on this special bonus episode of The Food Professor. Stay tuned for plenty of great interviews from our podcast studio on the trade show floor in Montreal at SIAL, and stay tuned for our regular full length episodes available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google - wherever you enjoy your podcasts today. About Shawn:Senior executive skilled at maximizing financial performance and motivating others to achieve peak performance. Listed accomplishments reflect an ability to grow business and manage it with exceptional results in the energy sector in terms of innovation, securing first adopters, safety, cost, quality, schedule and customer satisfaction.People change careers throughout their lifetime, each job an opportunity to highlight a specific set of qualities or aptitudes. The same can be said of raw ingredients, but maybe the voices saying it aren’t loud enough yet. So hear us when we say that coffee beans make brownies better & barley makes baked goods great for you. If you want more from your food, waste not.GroundUp eco-ventures is a unique company based on the concept of circular economies. Using clean technology we are focused on creating value from upcycling the waste streams of both the coffee & craft brewery industries. Our goal is to create value through eliminating waste & while we love to nerd out on the process, we couldn’t be happier with the results as well.We started planning GroundUp in early 2018, but the world had other plans for all of us. They say that good things come to those who wait & we are now delighted to bring our delicious, nutritious products to you. For us, ‘eating up’ means eating something that tastes great, is good for you & is environmentally responsible. It’s a win win win. GroundUp is Canadian owned & based in Okotoks, Alberta. About UsDr. Sylvain CharleboisDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor in food distribution and policy in the Faculties of Management and Agriculture at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Before joining Dalhousie, he was affiliated with the University of Guelph’s Arrell Food Institute, which he co-founded. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. Google Scholar ranks him as one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability.He has authored five books on global food systems, his most recent one published in 2017 by Wiley-Blackwell entitled “Food Safety, Risk Intelligence and Benchmarking”. He has also published over 500 peer-reviewed journal articles in several academic publications. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, including The Lancet, The Economist, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, BBC, NBC, ABC, Fox News, Foreign Affairs, the Globe & Mail, the National Post and the Toronto Star.Dr. Charlebois sits on a few company boards, and supports many organizations as a special advisor, including some publicly traded companies. Charlebois is also a member of the Scientific Council of the Business Scientific Institute, based in Luxemburg. Dr. Charlebois is a member of the Global Food Traceability Centre’s Advisory Board based in Washington DC, and a member of the National Scientific Committee of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in Ottawa.Michael LeBlanc is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada’s top retail industry podcast, The Voice of Retail, plus Global E-Commerce Tech Talks , The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois and now in its second season, Conversations with CommerceNext! You can learn more about Michael here or on LinkedIn. Be sure and check out Michael's latest adventure for fun and influencer riches - Last Request Barbecue, his YouTube BBQ cooking channel! About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Visiting Professor in Food Policy and Distribution at McGill University and a Professor in

Welcome to a special bonus episode celebrating the 29th ANNUAL CANADIAN GRAND PRIX NEW PRODUCT AWARDSSylvain and I are thrilled to be a sponsor of these prestigious awards for the third year in a row and have the chance to hand out the hardware on the stage to the winners in person for the first time!We had the opportunity to meet and get to know many fantastic food innovators and entrepreneurs, creators and makers - from consumer brands to private retail labels. These are their stories.In this episode, meet Scott Spencer, Chief Operating Officer at Island Abbey Food Science Ltd. Thanks for joining us on this special bonus episode of The Food Professor. Stay tuned for plenty of great interviews of the finalists from the Retail Council of Canada's Canadian Grand Prix New Product Awards. And stay tuned for our regular full-length episodes available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google - wherever you enjoy your podcasts today. About ScottAs the President and Chief Operations Officer of Island Abbey Foods, Scott is responsible for all company functions including the Supply Chain from Procurement through Production, Packaging and Distribution as well as Sales and Marketing for Honibe® Canada. In addition, his duties include organizational design, strategic and financial planning and S&OP. Scott also serves as the primary liaison with the community and local government agencies. Prior to joining IAF, Scott held the position of VP, Engineering and Continuous Improvement at The Nature’s Bounty Company, the United States #1 provider of vitamins and supplements. In that role he was responsible for Engineering, Maintenance, Environmental Health and Safety, Project Management and the company’s TPM based Continuous Improvement Program. Prior to joining TNBC, he was the Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) Early Management Pillar Leader for C&S Wholesale Grocers. In that capacity, he implemented TPM based Engineering tools in the design, construction and operation of fully automated mixed selection warehousing and distribution systems. In his previous role as Director of Engineering at Snyder’s-Lance, Scott was responsible for the Engineering and Maintenance functions over 13 manufacturing sites focused on project execution, equipment and infrastructure reliability and organizational development through the implementation of TPM tools. Scott also spent eight years at General Mills, holding multiple roles in Operations, Maintenance and Engineering. He began his career as a Nuclear Power Officer in the US Navy, successfully conducting two West Pack tours in the Arabian gulf onboard the USS CALIFORNIA (CGN 36) and defueled and decommissioned her two 250 MW nuclear reactors when the ship was retired. Scott earned a B.S. and M.S in Chemical Engineering from the State University of New York at Buffalo. Scott lives on Prince Edward Island, with his wife, Kimberly and rescue pit bull Missy.About UsDr. Sylvain CharleboisDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor in food distribution and policy in the Faculties of Management and Agriculture at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Before joining Dalhousie, he was affiliated with the University of Guelph’s Arrell Food Institute, which he co-founded. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. Google Scholar ranks him as one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability.He has authored five books on global food systems, his most recent one published in 2017 by Wiley-Blackwell entitled “Food Safety, Risk Intelligence and Benchmarking”. He has also published over 500 peer-reviewed journal articles in several academic publications. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, including The Lancet, The Economist, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, BBC, NBC, ABC, Fox News, Foreign Affairs, the Globe & Mail, the National Post and the Toronto Star.Dr. Charlebois sits on a few company boards, and supports many organizations as a special advisor, including some publicly traded companies. Charlebois is also a member of the Scientific Council of the Business Scientific Institute, based in Luxemburg. Dr. Charlebois is a member of the Global Food Traceability Centre’s Advisory Board based in Washington DC, and a member of the National Scientific Committee of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in Ottawa.Michael LeBlanc is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael is the producer and host of a network of leadi

Welcome to another special SIAL bonus episodes of The Food Professor podcast!Sylvain and I were thrilled to be the official podcast of the SIAL food innovation trade show held in Montreal in April; for many, the first in-person event since the COVID era began two years ago.We had the opportunity to meet and get to know many food innovators and entrepreneurs, creators and makers from many facets of the food industry. These are their stories.In this episode: Pierre-Yves Cote, President of Vivanda Boreal Thanks for joining us on this special bonus episode of The Food Professor. Stay tuned for plenty of great interviews from our podcast studio on the trade show floor in Montreal at SIAL, and stay tuned for our regular full length episodes available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google - wherever you enjoy your podcasts today. About Pierre-Yves:25 ans d’expérience en développement et gestion d’entreprise dans les secteurs agroalimentaires et manufacturiers, en investissement, transfert technologique, et développement des affaires à l’internationale. Pierre-Yves est le Président et fondateur de Stratexpert International, une firme d’investissement spécialisée sur l’Asie du Sud-Est. Il a aussi été le Président fondateur de Rocky Mountain Café Asia Pte Ltd, un groupe de 10 compagnies intégrées verticalement ayant son siège social à Singapour et impliquées dans la production et distribution de café aux Philippines.ResponsabilitésFournir le leadership et la vision pour gérer Aliments Boréals dans les meilleurs intérêts de ses actionnaires. Assurer le leadership dans l’établissement des valeurs, des objectifs, des priorités, du plan stratégique et du plan d’affaires annuel de la Société en collaboration avec le Conseil d’administration. Diriger la croissance des activités de la Société de manière rentable et durable grâce à une équipe de professionnels tout en opérant de manière responsable sur le plan social et environnemental. About UsDr. Sylvain CharleboisDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor in food distribution and policy in the Faculties of Management and Agriculture at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Before joining Dalhousie, he was affiliated with the University of Guelph’s Arrell Food Institute, which he co-founded. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. Google Scholar ranks him as one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability.He has authored five books on global food systems, his most recent one published in 2017 by Wiley-Blackwell entitled “Food Safety, Risk Intelligence and Benchmarking”. He has also published over 500 peer-reviewed journal articles in several academic publications. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, including The Lancet, The Economist, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, BBC, NBC, ABC, Fox News, Foreign Affairs, the Globe & Mail, the National Post and the Toronto Star.Dr. Charlebois sits on a few company boards, and supports many organizations as a special advisor, including some publicly traded companies. Charlebois is also a member of the Scientific Council of the Business Scientific Institute, based in Luxemburg. Dr. Charlebois is a member of the Global Food Traceability Centre’s Advisory Board based in Washington DC, and a member of the National Scientific Committee of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in Ottawa.Michael LeBlanc is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada’s top retail industry podcast, The Voice of Retail, plus Global E-Commerce Tech Talks , The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois and now in its second season, Conversations with CommerceNext! You can learn more about Michael here or on LinkedIn. Be sure and check out Michael's latest adventure for fun and influencer riches - Last Request Barbecue, his YouTube BBQ cooking channel! About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Visiting Professor in Food Policy and Distribution at McGill University and a Professor in Food Distribution and Policy in the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University.Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. He is one of the world’s most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and t

This episode is recored live at the Canadian Grand Prix New Product Awards 2022 in Toronto June 1st with very special guest Darell Jones, President Save-On-Foods, Margaret Hudson, CEO Burnbrae Farms, Michael Graydon, CEO at Food, Health & Consumer Products of Canada, the one and only Jim Slomka (episode picture credit to Jim!), and Errol Cerit, SVP FHCP. We take the opportunity to congratulate and then chat with the CGP Lifetime Achievement Award Winners Darrell and Margaret, learn a bit more about them and their respective businesses and tap into their insights on the state of the food and grocery industry. We also talk about food inflation, the state of palm oil, countries rationalizing their food supply, food inflation, automation and much more in this extended episode, our last live episode until the early fall. To see the Finalists in the Canadian Grand Prix, and to see who took home the hardware click here. About UsDr. Sylvain CharleboisDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor in food distribution and policy in the Faculties of Management and Agriculture at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Before joining Dalhousie, he was affiliated with the University of Guelph’s Arrell Food Institute, which he co-founded. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. Google Scholar ranks him as one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability.He has authored five books on global food systems, his most recent one published in 2017 by Wiley-Blackwell entitled “Food Safety, Risk Intelligence and Benchmarking”. He has also published over 500 peer-reviewed journal articles in several academic publications. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, including The Lancet, The Economist, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, BBC, NBC, ABC, Fox News, Foreign Affairs, the Globe & Mail, the National Post and the Toronto Star.Dr. Charlebois sits on a few company boards, and supports many organizations as a special advisor, including some publicly traded companies. Charlebois is also a member of the Scientific Council of the Business Scientific Institute, based in Luxemburg. Dr. Charlebois is a member of the Global Food Traceability Centre’s Advisory Board based in Washington DC, and a member of the National Scientific Committee of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in Ottawa.Michael LeBlanc is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada’s top retail industry podcast, The Voice of Retail, plus Global E-Commerce Tech Talks , The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois and now in its second season, Conversations with CommerceNext! You can learn more about Michael here or on LinkedIn. Be sure and check out Michael's latest adventure for fun and influencer riches - Last Request Barbecue, his YouTube BBQ cooking channel! About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Visiting Professor in Food Policy and Distribution at McGill University and a Professor in Food Distribution and Policy in the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University.Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. He is one of the world’s most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability with over 775 published peer-reviewed journal articles. Dr. Charlebois is also an editor for the prestigious Trends in Food Science Technology journal. He co-hosts The Food Professor podcast, discussing issues in the food, foodservice, grocery and restaurant industries and which is the most listened Canadian management podcast in Canada. Every year since 2012, he has published the now highly anticipated Canadian Food Price Report, which provides an overview of food price trends for the coming year. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, nationally as well as internationally. He has testified on several occasions before parliamentary committees on food policy-related issues as an expert witness. He has been asked to act as an advisor on food and agricultural policies in many Canadian provinces and other countries.With extensive experience collaborating with businesses, governments, and NGOs, Dr. Charlebois combines academic rigor wit

Welcome to a special bonus episode celebrating the 29th ANNUAL CANADIAN GRAND PRIX NEW PRODUCT AWARDSSylvain and I are thrilled to be a sponsor of these prestigious awards for the third year in a row and have the chance to hand out the hardware on the stage to the winners in person for the first time!We had the opportunity to meet and get to know many fantastic food innovators and entrepreneurs, creators and makers - from consumer brands to private retail labels. These are their stories.In this episode, meet Tracy Bell, Co-founder + CEOCo-founder + CEO, Millennia TEAThanks for joining us on this special bonus episode of The Food Professor. Stay tuned for plenty of great interviews of the finalists from the Retail Council of Canada's Canadian Grand Prix New Product Awards. And stay tuned for our regular full-length episodes available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google - wherever you enjoy your podcasts today. About TracyMy passion is helping fuel wellness. I'm a corporate exec turned entrepreneur after a health scare in the family. At Millennia TEA, we're going back to tea's origins, where it was enjoyed with leaves fresh from the plant. We're the creators of Fresh-Leaf TEA - real, raw, whole-food tea. Washed, instead of dried out. Flash frozen to safeguard more nutrients instead of heated and processed. My background is journalism and PR. I love a good story, and believe relationships are core to everything worthwhile. Meeting amazing people and doing something that matters are what light me up. About UsDr. Sylvain CharleboisDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor in food distribution and policy in the Faculties of Management and Agriculture at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Before joining Dalhousie, he was affiliated with the University of Guelph’s Arrell Food Institute, which he co-founded. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. Google Scholar ranks him as one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability.He has authored five books on global food systems, his most recent one published in 2017 by Wiley-Blackwell entitled “Food Safety, Risk Intelligence and Benchmarking”. He has also published over 500 peer-reviewed journal articles in several academic publications. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, including The Lancet, The Economist, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, BBC, NBC, ABC, Fox News, Foreign Affairs, the Globe & Mail, the National Post and the Toronto Star.Dr. Charlebois sits on a few company boards, and supports many organizations as a special advisor, including some publicly traded companies. Charlebois is also a member of the Scientific Council of the Business Scientific Institute, based in Luxemburg. Dr. Charlebois is a member of the Global Food Traceability Centre’s Advisory Board based in Washington DC, and a member of the National Scientific Committee of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in Ottawa.Michael LeBlanc is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada’s top retail industry podcast, The Voice of Retail, plus Global E-Commerce Tech Talks , The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois and now in its second season, Conversations with CommerceNext! You can learn more about Michael here or on LinkedIn. Be sure and check out Michael's latest adventure for fun and influencer riches - Last Request Barbecue, his YouTube BBQ cooking channel! About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Visiting Professor in Food Policy and Distribution at McGill University and a Professor in Food Distribution and Policy in the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University.Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. He is one of the world’s most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability with over 775 published peer-reviewed journal articles. Dr. Charlebois is also an editor for the prestigious Trends in Food Science Technology journal. He co-hosts The Food Professor podcast, discussing issues in the food, foodservice, grocery and restaurant industries and which is the most listened Canadian management podcast in Canada. Every year since 2012, he has published the now highly an

Welcome to the first of several special bonus episodes celebrating the 29th ANNUAL CANADIAN GRAND PRIX NEW PRODUCT AWARDSSylvain and I are thrilled to be a sponsor of these prestigious awards for the third year in a row and have the chance to hand out the hardware on the stage to the winners in person for the first time!We had the opportunity to meet and get to know many fantastic food innovators and entrepreneurs, creators and makers - from consumer brands to private retail labels. These are their stories.In this episode, meet Paige Wolfe from Peace River Honey and their Hot Honey products!Thanks for joining us on this special bonus episode of The Food Professor. Stay tuned for plenty of great interviews of the finalists from the Retail Council of Canada's Canadian Grand Prix New Product Awards. And stay tuned for our regular full-length episodes available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google - wherever you enjoy your podcasts today. About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Visiting Professor in Food Policy and Distribution at McGill University and a Professor in Food Distribution and Policy in the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University.Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. He is one of the world’s most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability with over 775 published peer-reviewed journal articles. Dr. Charlebois is also an editor for the prestigious Trends in Food Science Technology journal. He co-hosts The Food Professor podcast, discussing issues in the food, foodservice, grocery and restaurant industries and which is the most listened Canadian management podcast in Canada. Every year since 2012, he has published the now highly anticipated Canadian Food Price Report, which provides an overview of food price trends for the coming year. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, nationally as well as internationally. He has testified on several occasions before parliamentary committees on food policy-related issues as an expert witness. He has been asked to act as an advisor on food and agricultural policies in many Canadian provinces and other countries.With extensive experience collaborating with businesses, governments, and NGOs, Dr. Charlebois combines academic rigor with practical expertise, making him one of the most influential voices in the global agri-food landscape. His work continues to advance the understanding of food systems, fostering innovation and resilience in a rapidly evolving industry. In 2025, he received the prestigious Charles III medal recognizing his tremendous work in informing Canadians about food issues. Michael LeBlanc is a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and media entrepreneur. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions hosted senior retail executive on-stage in 1:1 interviews worldwide. Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including The Remarkable Retail Podcast, The Voice of Retail, The Food Professor, The FEED powered by Loblaw and the Global eCommerce Leaders podcast.  He has been recognized by the National Retail Federation (NRF) as a global Top Retail Voice for 2025 and 2025, and continues to be a ReThink Retail Top Retail Expert for the fifth year in a row. 

Welcome to another special SIAL bonus episodes of The Food Professor podcast!Sylvain and I were thrilled to be the official podcast of the SIAL food innovation trade show held in Montreal in April; for many, the first in-person event since the COVID era began two years ago.We had the opportunity to meet and get to know many food innovators and entrepreneurs, creators and makers from many facets of the food industry. These are their stories.In this episode: Jacqueline Day, Founder & CEO, Real Treat Kitchen Ltd. Thanks for joining us on this special bonus episode of The Food Professor. Stay tuned for plenty of great interviews from our podcast studio on the trade show floor in Montreal at SIAL, and stay tuned for our regular full length episodes available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google - wherever you enjoy your podcasts today. About Jacqueline:As a working actor through my teens and twenties the immense pressure of the industry led me to develop a relationship to food that was less than healthy. Once food became the enemy it was easy to forget about the joy food can bring.Rebuilding my relationship with food meant discovering it as an outlet for my own creativity while learning to embrace a balanced approach to food, and life.During this time I became passionate about flavour, and a strong proponent of organic agriculture.In my corporate career I exercised my ability to design processes and implement structures that create efficiencies, enabling teams to focus on what they do best. These experiences paved the way to me founding Real Treat in 2014. It’s hard to imagine a job more creatively fulfilling and intellectually challenging than this, and I love it! Creating and sharing delicious organic food that brings joy to peoples lives while supporting the health of our planet and ourselves is my purpose. If you’re interested in a partnership or our products , send me a message!Learn more and shop online at https://realtreat.ca/ About UsDr. Sylvain CharleboisDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor in food distribution and policy in the Faculties of Management and Agriculture at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Before joining Dalhousie, he was affiliated with the University of Guelph’s Arrell Food Institute, which he co-founded. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. Google Scholar ranks him as one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability.He has authored five books on global food systems, his most recent one published in 2017 by Wiley-Blackwell entitled “Food Safety, Risk Intelligence and Benchmarking”. He has also published over 500 peer-reviewed journal articles in several academic publications. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, including The Lancet, The Economist, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, BBC, NBC, ABC, Fox News, Foreign Affairs, the Globe & Mail, the National Post and the Toronto Star.Dr. Charlebois sits on a few company boards, and supports many organizations as a special advisor, including some publicly traded companies. Charlebois is also a member of the Scientific Council of the Business Scientific Institute, based in Luxemburg. Dr. Charlebois is a member of the Global Food Traceability Centre’s Advisory Board based in Washington DC, and a member of the National Scientific Committee of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in Ottawa.Michael LeBlanc is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada’s top retail industry podcast, The Voice of Retail, plus Global E-Commerce Tech Talks , The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois and now in its second season, Conversations with CommerceNext! You can learn more about Michael here or on LinkedIn. Be sure and check out Michael's latest adventure for fun and influencer riches - Last Request Barbecue, his YouTube BBQ cooking channel! About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Visiting Professor in Food Policy and Distribution at McGill University and a Professor in Food Distribution and Policy in the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University.Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. He is one of the world’s most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value c

Sylvain and I are recording live together at the Restaurants Canada trade show in Toronto. Thanks to the folks at Restaurants Canada for loaning us a great podcasting space right in the middle of the action of the big show! We talk about the show, the largest of its kind in Canada, what we're hearing, and the hot trends in the restaurant business. We also cover the latest inflation numbers in the U.S., supply chain challenges on baby food, the freight train of global famine heading towards us whether we realize it or not - and what the Canadian government can and should do about it. We are also joined in the RC podcast studio by a special guest, Michael Hilton, representing Fitch & Leedes tonic waters/mixers, who brings Premium Pink and Premium Grapefruit tonic to help keep Sylvain, and me refreshed. About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Visiting Professor in Food Policy and Distribution at McGill University and a Professor in Food Distribution and Policy in the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University.Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. He is one of the world’s most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability with over 775 published peer-reviewed journal articles. Dr. Charlebois is also an editor for the prestigious Trends in Food Science Technology journal. He co-hosts The Food Professor podcast, discussing issues in the food, foodservice, grocery and restaurant industries and which is the most listened Canadian management podcast in Canada. Every year since 2012, he has published the now highly anticipated Canadian Food Price Report, which provides an overview of food price trends for the coming year. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, nationally as well as internationally. He has testified on several occasions before parliamentary committees on food policy-related issues as an expert witness. He has been asked to act as an advisor on food and agricultural policies in many Canadian provinces and other countries.With extensive experience collaborating with businesses, governments, and NGOs, Dr. Charlebois combines academic rigor with practical expertise, making him one of the most influential voices in the global agri-food landscape. His work continues to advance the understanding of food systems, fostering innovation and resilience in a rapidly evolving industry. In 2025, he received the prestigious Charles III medal recognizing his tremendous work in informing Canadians about food issues. Michael LeBlanc is a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and media entrepreneur. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions hosted senior retail executive on-stage in 1:1 interviews worldwide. Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including The Remarkable Retail Podcast, The Voice of Retail, The Food Professor, The FEED powered by Loblaw and the Global eCommerce Leaders podcast.  He has been recognized by the National Retail Federation (NRF) as a global Top Retail Voice for 2025 and 2025, and continues to be a ReThink Retail Top Retail Expert for the fifth year in a row.