Senator Rob Black talks about life in the Chamber of Sober Second Thought and agriculture policy, plus food security and restaurants in the next wave of the pandemic and the joy of home gardens
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? News doesn't get any better for bars and restaurants - here Ontario medical director says just close them....but Restaurants Canada says 86% of Canadians don't want restaurants shut down...and are asking for U.K. style incentives Special Guest: Senator Robert Black Grocery 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
The Food Professor · rob black, Sylvain Charlebois
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Show Notes
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=1600978926
News 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 incentives
Special 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 grocers
Grocery 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
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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 Us
Dr. 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.