The Food Professor

Welcome to the The Food Professor podcast episode 13, the Baker’s Dozen episode! I’m Michael LeBlanc, and I’m Sylvain Charlebois!Online shopping and grocery research: 4.2MM Canadians new to online shopping for food - any surprises? Access the research here from the Dalhousie Agri-Foods Lab. Seeing the Clearwater deal - explain who Clearwater is, their importance to Halifax lobster industry - a handful of east coast Mi’kmaq First Nations big players in the Atlantic Canada fishery also risks further inflaming deep divisions in the region’s lobster industry. https://financialpost.com/commodities/clearwater-seafoods-sold-in-1-billion-deal-that-will-see-mikmaq-communities-own-50-per-centAny early thoughts on the impact to our food industry on a Biden presidency in the U.S - good, bad neutral.... already have a negotiated trade deal....didn't hear much on the campaign trail ...U.S. might join the Trans Pacific Partnership...maybe even CETA?Protein burger wars - McDonald's McPlant, Pizza Hut ads meatless option, Beyond Meat Stock Gets Slaughtered as Earnings Miss Expectations in a Beyond Big Way...what's happening!!!Our very special guest: Peter van Stolk, CEO at FoodX Technologies and Spud.comAn upstream battle for GMO Salmon: https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/6186/federal-court-declares-genetically-engineered-salmon-unlawful 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 The Food Professor podcast episode 12, I’m Michael LeBlanc, and I’m Sylvain Charlebois!Let's Moo-ve on, the Agri-Foods Lab at Dalhousie University issued a study on the Dairy Industry and Supply Management - there is a lot to unpack in this work - from how Canadians are essentially paying twice, to a call-out for reform to save the industry - take us through the key findings and recommendationsGetting local - study on local food - will consumers pay a premium, do they care if their fruits and veggies are grown on a farm or in a greenhouse, funny to me that people said "onions" as the number two ranked item to pay a premium for local - clearly the impacts of the recent recall fiascoDowntown Challenges - only 10% of the office workers are back at work in the Toronto Core - big changes coming for the coffee industry!Maple Leaf...doing well, which I'm kinda surprised at given the shutdown of foodservice - their plant based protein division grew almost 10%Heinz starts a ghost kitchen - looking to learn...is this a sign of things to come - is this brands pushing into the DTC model beyond restaurants and grocers?Next research report - Nov 12th - sneak peek - online food ordering - any teasers?******If you liked what you heard you can subscribe on Apple iTunes , Spotify or your favourite podcast platform, please rate and review, and be sure and recommend to a friend or colleague in the grocery, food service, or restaurant industry. I’m Michael LeBlanc, producer and host of The Voice of Retail podcast and a bunch of other stuff, and I’m Sylvain Charlebois!Have a safe week everyone! 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 the The Food Professor podcast episode 11, I’m Michael LeBlanc, and I’m Sylvain Charlebois!Tilling the rich media soil: 1 in 5 Canadians started gardening during the pandemic - Sylvain take us through the latest research results from the Dalhousie Agri-Foods lab, and what does this mean for grocers and 2021?A chilling (or is that Chile) tale of food fraud: talk about the organic raspberry scandal, the scale and scope of food fraud of this sort overall, what your/the Lab's role was in the detective work and any lessons learned on how to catch these criminalsOur special guest: Tareq Hadhad CEO and Founder of Peace by Chocolate! We talk to Tareq about his family’s story that is nothing short of incredible. An amazing journey of love and hope chronicled in the new book, Peace By Chocolate.We ask Tareq how has his experience influenced how he runs the company in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, about how PBC has gone to market, and about the process getting onto the shelves at specialty retailers and a major Canadian retailer like SobeysSylvain wants to know what is so special about Syrian chocolate? What’s unique about the products?Next we talk about the Federal Government moving to ban single use plastics - what comes next for the restaurant and take-out sectorAnd Sylvain remembers the late Percy Schmeiser as we discuss the new movie Percy, staring one of my fav. actors Christopher Walkin about a Saskatchewan farmer, canola and MonsantoOther movies about farmers:Field of DreamsInterstellarThe Martian Finally a Sneak Peek: Canadians shopping and paying for local produce - next study release from the Agri-Food Analytics Lab and Supply Chain 2.0!******If you liked what you heard you can subscribe on Apple iTunes , Spotify or your favourite podcast platform, please rate and review, and be sure and recommend to a friend or colleague in the grocery, foodservice, or restaurant industry. I’m Michael LeBlanc, producer and host of The Voice of Retail podcast and a bunch of other stuff, and I’m Sylvain Charlebois!Have a safe week everyone! 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 the The Food Professor podcast episode 10, I’m Michael LeBlanc, and I’m Sylvain Charlebois!Keep calm and carry on, wave two crashes into Quebec and Ontario - and why is it paper towels first?!?!?!? Is the food supply safe - should we panic should we be worried? How are retailers and the supply chain getting ready? https://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/a-good-citizens-guide-to-preparing-for-the-second-wave/?utm_medium=organic&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1600978926News doesn't get any better for bars and restaurants - here Ontario medical director says just close them: https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/video/restaurants-bars-and-gyms-are-really-out-of-the-question-right-now-emergency-physician~2043052. ....but Restaurants Canada says 86% of Canadians don't want restaurants shut down...and are asking for U.K. style incentivesSpecial Guest: Senator Robert Black https://sencanada.ca/en/senators/black-robert/What is it like to testify - 8x - do they ask the tough questions? Liked the point why political, they have a much longer lens so they can be much more substantive and avoid what we witnessed in the "hero pay" testimony by the big Canadian grocersGrocery Bill getting bigger? Insights coming out of the work towards the latest Canada Food Price report in December?Almost ready for harvest - Sneak Peek - next up in the Agri-Food Analytics Lab research: home gardening******Thanks to Senator Rob Black for being our guest on this episode of The Food Professor podcast!If you liked what you heard you can subscribe on Apple iTunes , Spotify or your favourite podcast platform, please rate and review, and be sure and recommend to a friend or colleague in the grocery, foodservice, or restaurant industry. I’m Michael LeBlanc, producer and host of The Voice of Retail podcast and a bunch of other stuff, and I’m Sylvain Charlebois!Have a safe week everyone! 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 the The Food Professor podcast episode 9, I’m Michael LeBlanc, and I’m Sylvain Charlebois!Back to School Professor! How will your work life be different, what does university life look like for your students, and what does that mean for the foodservice industry that takes care of feeding tens of thousands of students coast-to-coast?Winter is coming. Patio season is almost over for most of Canada - what comes next for the restaurant industry: https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/patio-season-over-restaurants-pandemic-1.5712856 . The news keeps getting worse for the sector (https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6936a5.htm?s_cid=mm6936a5_w) talk about how the restaurant economy can be saved, or at least is worth saving and what New Brunswick is doing to help: https://www.retail-insider.com/retail-insider/2020/9/dont-want-to-save-the-restaurant-industry-fine-but-use-it-to-save-the-economySpecial Guest: Margaret Hudson, President Burnbrae Farms: https://www.linkedin.com/in/margaret-hudson-521a7a9/Nobody panic, its the second wave: assess the stability, durability of the food supply chain as we (may or may not) be heading into a second waveLets talk about the weather in California/Oregon - how will wildfires and other challenges in California impact Canadians and the food supplyWhats Poppin?!? The Popeye's Chicken sandwich is about to hit Canada and it's a big deal! https://www.680news.com/2020/09/14/the-popeyes-chicken-sandwich-is-finally-available-at-all-canadian-restaurants/. Factoids: Popeyes sold 203 million chicken sandwiches in the past year; Texas sold the most chicken sandwiches in the last 12 months; and the most sandwiches sold by one store in one day was 3,582 sandwiches on November 3, 2019.******Thanks to Margaret Hudson from Burnbrae Farms for being our guest on this episode of The Food Professor podcast!If you liked what you heard you can subscribe on Apple iTunes , Spotify or your favourite podcast platform, please rate and review, and be sure and recommend to a friend or colleague in the grocery, foodservice, or restaurant industry. I’m Michael LeBlanc, producer and host of The Voice of Retail podcast and a bunch of other stuff, and I’m Sylvain Charlebois!Have a safe week everyone! 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 the Canadian Grand Prix New Product Awards bonus episode No. 2 of The Food Professor!My co-host Sylvain Charlebois and I were thrilled to support Retail Council of Canada’s new product awards this year as we both are big believers in supporting new and innovative products for the grocery shelves and beyond. In this episode I interview three of the winners with a nice variety of products for Canadians and great origin stories. First up Cheryl Haskett, Founder and CEO of Udderly Ridiculous Inc. takes us into the world of her amazing goat’s milk ice cream and the inspiration and opportunity to introduce Canadians to exotic, special and complimentary flavours with her category creating treat.Next, Albert Borgo from Quality Cheese, a family owned and operator creator of bespoke cheese in Ontario shares the inside story behind the creation of his award winning Bon Secret Cheese, Finally Lisa Mina Founder of Goodums Food Inc. introduces us to her nutritious award winning bake mix, created with her expertise in nutrition science, taste profiles and grocery retail to fill a much-needed gap on the shopping lists of Canadians coast-to-coast.******Thanks to Cheryl, Albert and Lisa for being my guests on this special bonus episode of The Food Professor podcast! If you liked what you heard you can subscribe on Apple iTunes , Spotify or your favourite podcast platform, please rate and review, and be sure and recommend to a friend or colleague in the grocery, foodservice, or restaurant industry. I’m Michael LeBlanc, producer and host of The Voice of Retail podcast and a bunch of other stuff, stay tuned for our next episode with my partner Sylvain Charlebois!Stay Safe everyone!! 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. 

Latest research: thinking about plastics and sustainability and the impacts on consumers of the pandemic: https://www.dal.ca/sites/agri-food/research/plastic-food-packaging--before-and-after-covid-19.htmlResearch Hot off the press: food waste during the pandemic - more at home? Does online shopping and meal kits = less waste?: https://www.dal.ca/sites/agri-food/research/household-organic-food-waste---covid-19.htmlBottom Feeder politics; what's going on with our friend the Lobster and the U.S.? :https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/trump-turns-an-election-year-eye-on-canadian-lobster-1.5704491Special Guest: Lori Nikkel, President Second HarvestIs this the end of the buffet restaurant format? Toronto's Frankie Tomato goes out with class: https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/frankie-tomatto-s-gives-away-1-000-pizzas-to-thank-customers-for-25-years-1.5085089** and others like Mandarin try to navigate their "high risk" status in Ontario of phase 3: https://mandarinrestaurant.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/FINAL-Return-to-Dine-In-Letter-James-Aug-13-1-pm.pdf 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 the The Food Professor podcast episode 7, I’m Michael LeBlanc, and I’m Sylvain Charlebois!In this episode: Latest research: the impact of millions of Canadians working from home on the food service and restaurant industry https://www.dal.ca/sites/agri-food/research/covid-19-telecommuting.htmlDo you have any tips for restaurants?: Should tips be automatically added to the bill? Is the concept of tips part of the entire restaurant industries problem? https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-heres-a-tip-its-time-to-discuss-how-we-pay-workers-in-the-service/Less is more: how can grocers keep their assortment fresh in a global pandemicOur Special Guest: Cara Keating, Pepsico Foods CanadaMovement on the local food-farm gate movement: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/meat-alberta-farmers-butchers-government-1.5669951?__vfz=medium%3DsharebarT-t-t-talking 'bout my COVID generation: how growing up in a pandemic effects your perspectives on food; now or forever?Crying over food safety returns - where is there opportunity to improve the food recall process?Nobody here but us chickens: Canada's new initiative to move perishable food through to food banks: https://www.cp24.com/news/chicken-eggs-both-go-first-as-feds-roll-out-covid-19-food-surplus-program-1.5062880Thanks to Cara Keating for being our guests on this episode of The Food Professor podcast! If you liked what you heard you can subscribe on Apple iTunes , Spotify or your favourite podcast platform, please rate and review, and be sure and recommend to a friend or colleague in the grocery, foodservice, or restaurant industry. I’m Michael LeBlanc, producer and host of The Voice of Retail podcast and a bunch of other stuff, and I’m Sylvain Charlebois!Have a safe week everyone! 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 the Canadian Grand Prix New Product Awards bonus episode of The Food Professor!My co-host Sylvain Charlebois and I were thrilled to support Retail Council of Canada’s new product awards this year as we both are big believers in supporting new and innovative products for the grocery shelves and beyond. Learn more and see all the winners at https://www.rccgrandprix.ca/In this episode I interview visionary chef Marcus Von Albrecht who has overseen the judging process behind Canadian Grand Prix New Product Awards for over 20 years, and we talk about the trends he’s seen over the past decades, thoughts on the products this year and trends for the future.We start this bonus episode with and exclusive interview with Jessica Wright, Director of Marketing from Quebec’s Montpak. Jessica takes us through their new Family Fontain line of veal products and what it took to get this new brand created, into the to market onto grocers shelves and consumer’s dinner tables and ultimately winning one of the top specialty awards - the All Canadian award!******Thanks to Jessica and Marcus for being my guests on this episode of The Food Professor podcast!If you liked what you heard you can subscribe on Apple iTunes , Spotify or your favourite podcast platform, please rate and review, and be sure and recommend to a friend or colleague in the grocery, foodservice, or restaurant industry. I’m Michael LeBlanc, producer and host of The Voice of Retail podcast and a bunch of other stuff, stay tuned for our next episode with my partner Sylvain Charlebois!Stay Safe everyone!! 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 the The Food Professor, episode No. 6 - I’m Michael LeBlanc along with Sylvain Charlebois!Channeling Cher:If I could turn back time: the Titans of Canadian grocery testify aka how do I get my two hours back?Voila at my doorstep - the debrief - great experience unpacked!Tackling Food insecurity with innovation: Can I sell you a cucumber greenhouse in New Brunswick? Is there a path now for innovation in growing fresh food in Canada at scale? Greenhouses? Vertical Greenhouses? Sobeys is growing fresh right in the store... (https://progressivegrocer.com/sobeys-safeway-thrifty-foods-adding-store-hydroponic-farms) and Vertical Farming/home gardens: https://www.technologynetworks.com/applied-sciences/news/vertical-farming-could-help-agriculture-meet-food-supply-needs-337416#.Xw8Ig-J2_No.twitterPandemic Pantry: Did COVID-19 save the centre of the aisle, and one thing in the kitchen you can't live without?Our very Special Guest: Solange Ackrill https://www.linkedin.com/in/solangeackrill/Vouchers for Restaurants: clever strategy or good money after bad?Feeling Boxed In? Is Box'd a solution to restaurant COVID-19 economics? https://torontolife.com/food/paramount-mohamad-fakih-on-boxd-canadas-first-fully-automated-restaurant-automat/Something about your latest research is bugging me...when you asked people is all your hear is crickets...London launches huge cricket farm...research tells us up to 20% would be open to eating bug protein!!Sneak Peek: The great urban shift and grocers/restaurants....the shot glass half full - it make our cities younger and more affordable... retailers and grocers.think differently about what you offer? Stay tuned for the numbers next episode!!If you liked what you heard you can subscribe on Apple iTunes , Spotify or your favourite podcast platform, please rate and review, and be sure and recommend to a friend or colleague in the grocery, foodservice, or restaurant industry. I’m Michael LeBlanc, producer and host of The Voice of Retail podcast and a bunch of other stuff, and I’m Sylvain Charlebois,Stay Safe everyone!! 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 the The Food Professor, episode No. 5 - I’m Michael LeBlanc along with Sylvain Charlebois!Glass half full & CUSMA: who wins in the food industry/sector?Double Double tracking trouble: Tim's mobile app knows where you've been.... See: https://business.financialpost.com/technology/tim-hortons-app-tracking-customers-intimate-dataCanada's Food Price Report goes national for 2021! Canada’s Food Price Report is going cross-country. Jointly released by long-time collaborators Dalhousie University and the University of Guelph, the 2021 project team will include the University of Saskatchewan and the University of British Columbia. “We’re going national!” says Dr. Sylvain Charlebois, Senior Director at the Agri-Food Analytics Lab and the report’s lead author. “When we started this project a decade ago, we always wanted to make it fully Canadian and have institutions across the country contribute. We now have four very strong institutions joining forces. With COVID-19, it’s going to be challenging to forecast food prices this year, so we need all the help we can get.”https://www.dal.ca/sites/agri-food.html Despite being a world source of the ingredients, Canada lags on the final, value add product. Where are we on a strategy to address this opportunityWhat ever happened to peace, love and sustainability? The return of plastic bags - a reality for the COVID-19 era? Sobeys and other retailers announce resumption of BYOBagWelcome to PEI, have a bag of potatoes!Our Special Guest: Sarah Joyce, Senior Vice President, Voila by Sobeys talks about the launch of Canada's newest grocery eCommerce offering, and the power of the OCADO partnership and her new team to deliver an awesome experience on the doorstep. Immigration consults, demonstrations, closed farms...COVID & Migrant Labour the issue that isn't going awayParty on the Patio: restaurants across Canada can serve customers on patios, but let's not get too excited...the industry remains in deep trouble despite this and other innovations. Is the restaurant industry missing an opportunity for a customer expectation re-set?If you liked what you heard you can subscribe on Apple iTunes , Spotify or your favourite podcast platform, please rate and review, and be sure and recommend to a friend or colleague in the grocery, foodservice, or restaurant industry. I’m Michael LeBlanc, producer and host of The Voice of Retail podcast and a bunch of other stuff, [and I’m Sylvain Charlebois,Stay Safe everyone!! 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 b

Welcome to the The Food Professor, episode No. 4 - I’m Michael LeBlanc along with Sylvain Charlebois!Hot potatoe issue: Stats. Can reports some pretty startling numbers for increases cost of some products - what's going on here?Carrots, 29%Macaroni, 19%Potatoes, 16%Canned soup, 15%Canned tomatoes, 11%."You say new NAFTA I say CUSMA, crying over spilled milk, impacts on the dairy and other sectors of the new agreement coming into force July 1, 2020Totally Baked Idea: from illicit to essential for retail cannabis - has the Zamboni era of recreational cannabis really begun? April saw month/month slight drop, but year over year, wow dude lots of growth!Sizing up the increased COVID operating costs: Maple Leaf says its $20 million: See https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-maple-leaf-foods-says-coronavirus-costs-will-add-up-to-20-million-to/And Voila - Sobeys gets in the eCommerce game with a huge investment with OCADOCheck out the Saputo fridge, DTC for consumers in Quebec: https://lefrigosaputo.ca/Food Fraud on the rise - another gift of COVID-19?Very first special Guest: David Marcott, SVP Cross-Industry/Cross-Border and Technology at Kantar Consulting joins us to talk retail tech innovation and balance sheet strategies of the big grocers preparing for the COVId-19 era https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidmarcotte/If you liked what you heard you can subscribe on Apple iTunes , Spotify or your favourite podcast platform, please rate and review, and be sure and recommend to a friend or colleague in the grocery, foodservice, or restaurant industry. I’m Michael LeBlanc, producer and host of The Voice of Retail podcast and a bunch of other stuff, and I’m Sylvain Charlebois,Stay Safe everyone!! 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 the The Food Professor, episode No. 3 - I’m Michael LeBlanc and I’m Sylvain Charlebois! Let’s jump right in…Your table is ready! New research in partnership with Angus Reid into consumer perceptions around restaurants and COVID-19 revealed a few surprises and one delight; many Canadians continued to support their local restaurants as best they could with take out, but are split down the middle whether they will be spending much time eating out in the COVID era. But apparently when they do eat out they want mannequins to fill up the seats!!https://www.dal.ca/sites/agri-food/research/restaurants-post-covid-19.htmlNew segment!! Ask the Professor: Submitted Listener Question and AnswerAsk a question online at: https://www.speakpipe.com/AskTheFoodProfessorThe complicated issue of Hero Pay: Can retailers sustain it? Will consumers pay for it? Is technology at retail the answer?Ontario Farms: the new Pandemic Hot Spots - is there a solution, and is importing migrant workers a farming tradition the makes the best use of resources available? Will this result in shortages of fresh vegetables for Canadians?See articles:https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-ontario-farms-struggle-to-contain-covid-19-as-migrant-workers-test/https://lfpress.com/news/local-news/scotlynn-pulls-plug-on-asparagus-harvest/wcm/25a3dc86-557e-4d7d-bd3a-9267c4d8a549/https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2020/06/08/pandemic-makes-problems-of-migrant-farm-workers-worse-report-says.htmlhttps://www.thestar.com/politics/provincial/2020/06/09/spike-in-covid-19-cases-among-migrant-workers-in-southwestern-ontario.html?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=SocialMedia&utm_campaign=QueensPark&utm_content=spike-in-covid-19-cases-among-migrant-workers-in-southwestern-ontario&utm_source=twitter&source=torontostar&utm_medium=SocialMedia&utm_campaign=&utm_campaign_id=&utm_content=Will the increased cost of meat and potential shortages take plant-based protein Beyond a niche? Is there a broader movement at foot...is as a recent article in the NYT a movement that reflects the " inevitability of impending change". (https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/21/opinion/coronavirus-meat-vegetarianism.html?action=click&module=Opinion&pgtype=Homepage) the future?This episode is dedicated to two great story tellers that made us aware of the importance of restaurants and food in our culture and both left us better off for being with us. Anthony Bourdain gone now two years this week and Charles Dickens, 150 years ago this week as well.If you liked what you heard you can subscribe on Apple iTunes , Spotify or your favourite podcast platform, please rate and review, and be sure and recommend to a friend or colleague in the grocery, foodservice, or restaurant industry. I’m Michael LeBlanc, producer and host of The Voice of Retail podcast and a bunch of other stuff, [and I’m Sylvain Charlebois,Stay Safe everyone!! 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 ret

Welcome to the The Food Professor I’m Michael LeBlanc and I’m joined by Dr. Sylvain Charlebois!Slamming the farm gate behind us: we talk about your latest research Caddle, Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University research on COVID-19, food security and euthanizing animals: https://www.dal.ca/sites/agri-food/research/farmgate-waste.htmlPigs being euthanized on the farms…bacon sales down - the thick underbelly of the foodservice industry - is no one cooking breakfast and some startling conclusions - Sylvain suggesting that making discarding managed commodities at farmgate illegal is a type of solution for at least some commodities.We have a "Bun fight! Stats Canada tells us the cost of centre-of-the-aisle went up - FCPC says their members don't set pricing, RCC says the retailers haven't raised prices: is something else going on? Some examples of commodities in the centre of the isle: Baked beans, +19%; Canned tomatoes, +19%, Canned carrots, +14%;, Canned soup, +12%, Bathroom tissue, +12%....."Half Baked Idea: Janis Stein from the Munk School says that meat processing plants can and should move to almost 100% digital/robots - is this a fantasy or is there any reality to that proposition?Grocery eCommerce: from nothing to something and back again? Or will Canadians finally love shopping online for groceries?Is Something fishy going on? Canadian Government commits $470 Million to fisheries in Canada - some percentage greater than what Agriculture received? If you liked what you heard you can subscribe on Apple iTunes , Spotify or your favourite podcast platform, please rate and review, and be sure and recommend to a friend or colleague in the grocery, foodservice, or restaurant industry. I’m Michael LeBlanc, producer and host of The Voice of Retail podcast and a bunch of other stuff, and I’m Sylvain Charlebois!Stay Safe everyone!! 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 the very first episode of The Food Professor!In this episode Sylvain and I talk about what at first I think to many Canadian seemed good news, but Sylvain thought was half-baked…a B+…$252 Million Dollars for Canadian Farmers…first of all, what is the issue with the odd numbers, but beyond that, isn’t that kind of money helpful? Next, we discuss recent consumer research from Dalhousie University and Angus Reid on grocery shopping, going to restaurants and all things food during the early days of the COVID-19 crisis (see https://www.dal.ca/sites/agri-food/research/covid-19-grocery-experience.html)Pandemic Processing Plants - the Cargill plant was the worst COVID-19 outbreaks in North America - worse than sailing on a cruise ship - is there more to this story from a bigger picture perspective?Then we talk about smoking good cannabis, or its at least what we both though we were doing at first when we heard Sysco Foodservice was getting into the home grocery delivery business!Last but not least, the joy and simple pleasure of home gardening - a mega trend with no downside!If you liked this podcast you can subscribe on Apple iTunes , Spotify or your favourite podcast platform, please please please rate and review, and be sure and recommend to a friend or colleague in the retail industry, foodservice, restaurant industry.Stay Safe everyone!! 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. 

Join Sylvain Charlebois and co-host Michael LeBlanc from The Voice of Retail podcast as we dive in the recipe for the food, grocery, foodservice and restaurant industries, discuss proprietary industry and consumer food related research, check out fresh new ideas and talk about whatever half baked strategies are in the news this week. So be sure and join Sylvain and Michael every two weeks for in-depth insights and great conversation - find The Food Professor online and subscribe on Apple iTunes, Spotify - 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.