Join Dr. Sylvain Charlebois, Senior Director, Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University in Halifax with host Michael LeBlanc as they look at the hot issues in the food, foodservice, grocery and restaurant industries. We’ll discuss proprietary industry and consumer food related research, check out fresh new ideas and talk about half baked strategies. Presented by Caddle. © 2020-2024 M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Episodes
- DECEMBER 5TH, 2024 | 55:28 | S5:E15
Canada's Food Price Report 2025, Farting Cows & guest Gordon Neal of RFINE Biomass Solutions
This episode of The Food Professor #podcast highlights the release of Canada's Food Price Report, forecasting a 3-5% increase in food costs for 2025, translating to an additional $801 yearly expense for a family of four. Our guest on this episode is Gordon Neal, co-founder and general manager of RFINE Biomass Solutions, based in Halifax; turning Spent Coffee Grounds into Eco-Conscious Profits, RFINE is revolutionizing the quick service coffee industry. Gordon's company transforms spent coffee grounds—80 tractor-trailers daily in Canada—into food-grade ingredients, tackling food waste and methane emissions.
- NOVEMBER 28TH, 2024 | 55:00 | S5:E14
Canada's "Vibecession" & the GST Holiday Season, Trump's 25% Solution & guest Ed Hoehn, COO, Atomo Beanless Coffee
This episode features Ed Hoehn, COO of Atomo Coffee, recorded live at the Coffee Association of Canada conference. Hoehn introduces Atomo's innovative, sustainable beanless coffee and shares insights on challenging industry norms. In the news we take on Trump's 25% treat, the "Vibecession", the pros and cons of the GST Holiday and Sylvain's newly published peer-reviewed study on the Carbon Tax and Canadian Agriculture's competitiveness.
- NOVEMBER 21ST, 2024 | 43:35 | S5:E13
Monopolies, Mexico, McDonalds & guest Kyle Engelman, Executive Director, Grounds For Health
In this lively episode of The Food Professor Podcast, presented by Caddle, Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois tackle a rich menu of topics spanning BBQ, agriculture, global health, and trade. We kick things off with a nod to Texas BBQ culture, celebrating the Michelin Guide's arrival in the state. We highlight an inspiring conversation with special guest Kyle Engelman, Executive Director from Grounds for Health, live at the Coffee Association of Canada's annual conference. Kyle sheds light on their life-saving initiatives in coffee-growing communities, addressing cervical cancer—a nearly 100% treatable disease that still poses a grave threat in low-income countries.
- NOVEMBER 14TH, 2024 | 51:48 | S5:E12
Trump v2.0 & Ag, COP-Out, Carbon Tax Papers and guest Mitchell Scott, CEO of Cult Food Science
On this episode, we delve into two new studies on the Carbon Tax, continue talking about Trump v2.0 and agriculture, talk about my visit to Amazon Fresh grocery store in New York, and guest Mitchell Scott, CEO of Cult Food Science, who is building and investing in some of the first companies in the exciting new field of cellular agriculture.
- NOVEMBER 7TH, 2024 | 43:37 | S5:E11
The Return of Trump & What It Means for the Canadian Agri-Food Sector and guest Michael Chadwick, Fidelio
In the latest episode of The Food Professor Podcast, Michael LeBlanc and Sylvain Charlebois discuss the implications of Donald Trump's return to the U.S. presidency on the agri-food sector, and our guest recorded live in Montreal at the SIAL Food Innovation show is Michael Chadwick with Quebec's Fidelio ERP system, talking about digital transformation and productivity for Canada's food manufacturers.
- OCTOBER 31ST, 2024 | 50:51 | S5:E10
Grocery Competition & Real Estate, Canadian Food Bank Crisis and guest Per Bank, President & CEO, Loblaw Companies Limited
In this episode of The Food Professor Podcast, we welcome back to the show Colleen Martin from Caddle, who presented exclusive research on sustainability based on a survey of over 8,900 Canadians. Colleen revealed that 55% of consumers consider sustainability important when choosing products, but price sensitivity remains a key barrier. We start the pod by discussing recent reactions to Sylvain's controversial milk dumping study, highlighting the lack of transparency within the dairy industry and the differing practices between Quebec and Ontario. Shifting to beef, Sylvain noted that rising cattle prices result from droughts and a shrinking herd in Canada and the U.S., with current herd sizes comparable to the 1980s.
- OCTOBER 24TH, 2024 | 48:53 | S5:E9
Where's the Beef & Real Consumer Perspectives on Sustainability with Colleen Martin from Caddle
In this episode of The Food Professor Podcast, we welcome back to the show Colleen Martin from Caddle, who presented exclusive research on sustainability based on a survey of over 8,900 Canadians. Colleen revealed that 55% of consumers consider sustainability important when choosing products, but price sensitivity remains a key barrier. We start the pod by discussing recent reactions to Sylvain's controversial milk dumping study, highlighting the lack of transparency within the dairy industry and the differing practices between Quebec and Ontario. Shifting to beef, Sylvain noted that rising cattle prices result from droughts and a shrinking herd in Canada and the U.S., with current herd sizes comparable to the 1980s.
- OCTOBER 17TH, 2024 | 49:47 | S5:E8
Breakthrough Milk Dumping Study, India Trade Trouble, and our guest Zeeshan Fazal, EDC
We welcome Zeeshan Fazal, Regional Director and Agrifood expert from Export Development Canada (EDC). Recorded live at the SIAL food innovation show in Montreal, Zeeshan explains how EDC supports Canadian companies in expanding their reach beyond borders, including into the United States, by providing financial tools, trade expertise, and valuable market connections. The episode focuses on critical industry topics, including the staggering waste in Canada's dairy sector, with over 6 billion litres of milk dumped since 2012, as highlighted in a recent ScienceDirect study. The hosts also touch on Canada-India trade relations' complexities and challenges.
- OCTOBER 10TH, 2024 | 01:00:20 | S5:E7
Canadian Food Sentiment Index Debut, Thanksgiving Table metrics, St. Hubert gets focussed, and guest Heidi Dutton, CEO of Lovingly Made
In this episode, we're thrilled to welcome Heidi Dutton, CEO of Lovingly Made. Heidi shares how her organization is revolutionizing plant protein for people, pets, and aquaculture, ensuring the highest standards in sustainable sourcing.The highlight of today's episode is the release of the brand-new Canadian Food Sentiment Index Bi-Annual Insight Report. Sylvain walks us through the report's inspiration, key objectives, and some of the most surprising findings. With Thanksgiving just around the corner, we look at the good (and not-so-good) news for the typical holiday table, from rising costs to sustainable food trends.
- OCTOBER 3RD, 2024 | 40:06 | S5:E6
Skyrocketing Coffee, U.S. Port Strikes & Canada, A Grocery Legend Retires, special guest Marie-Noëlle Cano, President of CANO Intelligence Collective Inc.
In this episode, recorded live at SIAL in Montreal, we’re thrilled to have Marie-Noëlle Cano, Founder of Canoe Intelligence Collective, as our special guest. Marie-Noel shares valuable insights for food entrepreneurs and executives, offering lessons to inspire and inform your business strategies.We also discuss the latest news impacting the food sector. Coffee prices are on the rise again; we break down Bill C-282 on supply management—why it’s crucial and why it’s poised to pass; and finally, we look at the massive U.S. port strike and its implications for Canada, and congratulate Darrell Jones of Pattison Food Group on his retirement, with Jamie Nelson stepping in as his successor.
- SEPTEMBER 26TH, 2024 | 42:43 | S5:E5
Is Bill C-293 Canada's Vegan Act, More Supply Chain Turmoil, Body Cams and special guest Andrew Andriano, Founder and CEO of Flourish
Our special guest is Andrew Andriano the founder and CEO of Flourish, who has reimagined breakfast despite, or as a result of, a challenging start to his career. We talk about the Vancouver port strike, upcoming disruptions in the U.S. at ports, Bill C-293 now in front of the Senate, which Sylvain wonders if it is better known as Canada's 'Vegan Act, and body cams in grocery explained.
- SEPTEMBER 19TH, 2024 | 47:40 | S5:E4
Quebec Takes on Tipflation, the Party is Over for Tupperware, Canadians Partying Less, guest Maxime Beauchesne from Pâtisserie Michaud
In this episode of The Food Professor Podcast, Michael hosts Maxime Beauchesne from Pâtisserie Michaud, recorded live at the SIAL food innovation show. In the news, Sylvain provides insights into the effects of Quebec's new tip transparency regulations and the broader economic landscape, touching on issues like Tupperware's bankruptcy, the impact to provincial liquor boards of decreasing alcohol consumption, rising CPI concerns and food insecurity with a Federal government that continues to lose byelections and not addressing issues within its own house that could address food insecurity.
- SEPTEMBER 12TH, 2024 | 52:51 | S5:E3
DEI Rollback, Million A Month Foodbank, Exclusive Grocery eCommerce Research guest Colleen Martin from Caddle
In this episode Colleen Martin from Caddle is back with exclusive research on Canadian online grocery trends, we talk sustainability in food production, rising food insecurity in Ontario, AI & your dinner plates, and Sylvain confirms that pets are not part of Canada's Food Guide.
- SEPTEMBER 5TH, 2024 | 48:53 | S5:E2
China Versus Canola, BOC Interest Rate Cut and Your Dinner Plate, End of the NDP-Liberal Alliance and Ag, guest Francois Bouchard, SVP at GS1 Canada
In this episode, we welcome Francois Bouchard, Senior Vice President of Subscriber Engagement at GS1 Canada, and we talk about the innovation of the 2D bar code. We cover the tit-for-tat implications of China's trade threats on the Canadian Canola industry, the Bank of Canada's 3rd rate cut on Canadian dinner plates, and what the end of the NDP-Liberal federal alliance means for Agriculture.
- AUGUST 29TH, 2024 | 55:08 | S5:E1
Sizzling Summer Food Industry News & Special Guest Tony Chapman, Marketing Visionary and host of Chatter That Matters #pod
We're back for our 5th season as one of Canada's top independent management podcasts after a summer break from live shows with a fast-paced review of all the big stories in the Canadian food industry that happened since we were last together live on the mic. It was an action-packed summer!! Helping us kick off our season premiere with style is the one and only Tony Chapman, serial entrepreneur, marketing visionary, keynote speaker, and host of the great Chatter That Matter #podcast!