Articles et Analyses des Pratiques Agroalimentaires

Recent articles and analysis

Starbucks lightens up on dairy, for the planet (Chronicle Herald)

27 January 2020

Dairy, for all intents and purposes, is now on its way out at Starbucks. Dairy alternatives will be the standard in Starbucks stores as it aims to become “resource positive” by storing more [...]

Buy Canadian food campaign could end badly for Ottawa (The Hamilton Spectator)

26 January 2020

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada is going into marketing. It wants you to buy Canadian. The federal government intends to spend $25 million over five years starting this summer to promote [...]

Gene-editing in food is our next communications fiasco in the making (Ottawa Citizen)

24 January 2020

We are hearing more about gene-edited foods, which is an intriguing concept for some, but perhaps a scary one for others. There’s a lot of excitement in agriculture circles about the introduction [...]

It’s the year of plant health; your favourites suffer from climate change too (Chronicle Herald)

10 January 2020

2020 is the International Year of Plant Health, as proclaimed by the United Nations. Given that plants make up 80% of the food we eat, and produce 98% of the oxygen we breathe, let’s hope the UN [...]

The art, and science, of rescuing food (Winnipeg Free Press)

6 January 2020

Canada generates more food waste per capita than any other country in the world. Every year, close to 60 per cent of food produced in Canada is wasted. That’s more than 35 million tonnes of food. [...]

Forget flight shaming — how about food shaming? (Ottawa Citizen)

6 January 2020

Move over flight shaming. In 2020, we may see environmentalists target a new group of individuals: Overeaters.

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Starbucks lightens up on dairy, for the planet (Chronicle Herald)

27 January 2020

Dairy, for all intents and purposes, is now on its way out at Starbucks. Dairy alternatives will be the standard in Starbucks stores as it aims to become “resource positive” by storing more [...]

Buy Canadian food campaign could end badly for Ottawa (The Hamilton Spectator)

26 January 2020

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada is going into marketing. It wants you to buy Canadian. The federal government intends to spend $25 million over five years starting this summer to promote [...]

Gene-editing in food is our next communications fiasco in the making (Ottawa Citizen)

24 January 2020

It’s the year of plant health; your favourites suffer from climate change too (Chronicle Herald)

10 January 2020

The art, and science, of rescuing food (Winnipeg Free Press)

6 January 2020

Forget flight shaming — how about food shaming? (Ottawa Citizen)

6 January 2020

Move over flight shaming. In 2020, we may see environmentalists target a new group of individuals: Overeaters.

We would be better off with more women agrifood entrepreneurs (The Chronicle Herald)

18 October 2019

By managing risks differently, women entrepreneurs bring needed diversity of thought in the food manufacturing system. But it’s a sad fact that some serious gaps exist between the extent to [...]

Cannabis 2.0: What can we expect? (Global News)

17 October 2019

Chat with Sylvain Charlebois, Senior Director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie, about the legalization of edibles and what it means for Canadians and the cannabis industry.

In red meat vs plant protein wars, science is not a buffet where you pick and choose the results you like (Financial Post)

8 October 2019

There is no right or wrong in food research, even if the steamrolling plant-based narrative has gotten us all thinking that way.

In red meat vs plant protein wars, science is not a buffet where you pick and choose the results you like (Financial Post)

8 October 2019

There is no right or wrong in food research, even if the steamrolling plant-based narrative has gotten us all thinking that way. Time and time again, we have been reminded that red meat, and even [...]

Even McDonald’s can’t ignore the data behind plant-based burgers (The Chronicle Herald)

2 October 2019

McDonald’s will enter the plant-based game by running a pilot in Ontario. This is a global first for McDonald’s. That’s right, Canada is McDonald’s protein test lab. And, when McDonald’s makes a [...]

When talking about affordability, don’t forget people need to eat (The Chronicle Herald)

27 September 2019

A recent Angus Reid Global survey, done with the support of Dalhousie University’s Agri-Food Analytics Lab, found that 60 per cent of Canadians believe food security and food price deserves more [...]

Not kosher? (New Food Magazine)

25 September 2019

Canada’s largest kosher meat plants have had their licenses suspended, as we have recently learned from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). Ryding-Regency Meat Packers, a Toronto-based [...]

To keto or not to keto? (The Gardian)

20 September 2019

Over the last 12 months, the word “keto” was the most googled food-related topic in the world, not just in Canada. The ketogenic diet is certainly not for everyone, but the numbers show that this [...]

In defence of ‘ultra-processed’ foods (The Conversation)

20 August 2019

Ultra-processed foods, a label coined in research by a Brazilian pediatrician, have been targeted as a menace to society for quite some time, mostly by environmental advocates and health professionals.

Major restaurant chains choosing battle sides – meat or plant-based – as great ‘protein war’ heats up (The Globe And Mail)

16 August 2019

The great “protein war” is heating up as several major restaurant chains are embracing the plant-based movement while others firmly position themselves as guardians of the mighty meat eater. It’s [...]

‘Beyond Meat’ should look beyond meat (Winnipeg Free Press)

8 August 2019

Beyond Meat is in more than 35,000 retail outlets around the world and has proven that protein-based manufacturing can be scaled up. The company announced plans to sell more than three million [...]

Are kitchen stoves going the way of the sewing machine? (The Globe And Mail)

2 August 2019

For many of us, the kitchen has been a sacred place in our home. In fact, some call it the heart of the home. But kitchens are seemingly losing their lustre. An increasing number of condos and [...]

Canada’s food guide should be under review – but it must not be politicized (The Globe And Mail)

21 July 2019

n the 12 years between releases of Health Canada’s food guide, we seem to have forgotten all about the guide itself. Even though the food guide has been a national institution for quite some time [...]

A cashless food economy is not all good (The Globe And Mail)

12 July 2019

The economic case for using less cash when purchasing food is overwhelmingly strong. It makes the system more efficient, provides more convenience for shoppers, and makes management less prone to [...]

On cannabis edibles, Health Canada takes a risk-averse stance over potential rewards (The Globe And Mail)

16 June 2019

When the federal government pushed ahead with legislation to legalize recreational cannabis a few years ago, many Canadians felt as if it was the first invitation to a giant festival with great [...]

Canadians want less plastic. But will they pay the price? (The Globe and Mail)

11 June 2019

For months, rumours in Canada were swirling about Loop’s entry into the market. Loop is the TerraCycle-led program that allows consumers to buy food in reusable containers. In Canada, only Loblaw [...]

Break out the guacamole; U.S./Mexico tariffs could be a win for Canada (The Chronicle Herald)

6 June 2019

In an unprecedented move last week, and in a single tweet, U.S. President Donald Trump opted to impose five per cent tariffs on all Mexican imports until the illegal immigration issue gets resolved.

Hunger is a horrible word. And how to solve it is an undertaking for us all (Ottawa Citizen)

3 June 2019

Hunger is cruelly invisible and unfairly discriminatory. Women, the disabled, the Indigenous and people living in northern communities are disproportionally hungry more so than the average Canadian.

Record use of food delivery app in May: survey (The Chronicle Herald)

31 May 2019

A recent survey conducted by Angus Reid Global, in partnership with the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University, suggests that 29 per cent of all Canadians have used a food delivery app [...]

How the world can win the hunger games (Troy Media)

28 May 2019

Hunger is horrid, an undesirable state few deliberately choose. We know that over 800 million suffer from hunger around the globe.

Food insecurity is reality, and it’s on the rise (The Chronicle Herald)

27 May 2019

We know that more than 800 million suffer from hunger around the globe. In the Western world, hunger surrounds us without many of us knowing that it is there. It is estimated that four million [...]

Agrifoods suddenly exciting investments (The Chronicle Herald)

24 May 2019

What was hailed as the largest initial public offering of the year is now known as the Wall Street flop. Uber remains below its IPO price of US$45, and many people have heaped fault on the [...]

Canada’s legalization of weed edibles is another global social experiment (The Conversation)

15 May 2019

This October, cannabis-infused edibles will be fully legal on the Canadian market. Does it matter if Canada is ready or not?

Beyond Meat stocks soar with IPO (CTV News)

6 May 2019

The story of Beyond Meat and what’s next… An analysis by Dr. Sylvain Charlebois.

Tim Hortons’s Roll Up the Rim revamp comes way too late to prevent brand damage (Globe & Mail)

1 May 2019

Restaurant Brands International Inc. (RBI) has posted less-than-convincing results this past quarter. Markets were surprised to see results coming in below expectations.

Genetically modified salmon coming to Canada (CTV News)

24 April 2019

GM salmon: With no labels, what’s in it for the consumer?

Checking out on checkout charity (Canadian Grocer)

8 April 2019

Sylvain Charlebois, our Scientific Director, looks into the relevance and consequences of grocers asking for charity donations at checkout.

Carbon pricing will change what and how we eat (Globe & Mail)

2 April 2019

Incentivizing companies to reduce GHG emissions through carbon pricing is not a perfect idea, but action is needed. If we do not pay a price for pollution now, the price in the future will likely [...]

Liberal budget sells the farm along with quotas (Troy Media)

22 March 2019

From supply management to food strategy to rural Internet to food processing to export targets, the government got it all wrong

Taking stock in Canada’s new food guide (AIMS)

21 March 2019

According to a new report by Dalhousie and Guelph Universities, the new food guide is cheaper to follow than the old one by 1.98$ per day for a family of 4. However, most Canadians aren’t willing [...]

Charlebois: New Canada’s Food Guide offers a more affordable plate, greater food security (The Chronicle Herald)

14 March 2019

Preliminary findings of a study released jointly by Dalhousie University and the University of Guelph showed that a family of four will save, on average, 6.8 per cent on their annual grocery bill [...]

New study: New federal food guide may be ‘out of reach’ for most Canadians (Your Morning, CTV Toronto)

14 March 2019

Researchers at Dalhousie University and the University of Guelph found over 52 per cent of consumers surveyed said they face barriers in adopting the guide’s recommendations.

Vegan cheese and fake meat: A recipe for food appropriation? (The Globe and Mail)

15 February 2019

With the publication of the new food guide, Canada has officially ended its government-endorsed fascination with animal proteins. With vegetable proteins becoming more popular, many in the [...]

Food-related issues are widening Canada rural-urban gap (Troy Media)

12 February 2019

For years, farmers have tried to tell their stories through social media and elsewhere – and too often failed

Canada’s Food Guide: The end of the milk doctrine? (The Globe and Mail)

13 January 2019

The four food group categories that most Canadians know by heart seem to be on their way out. Health Canada has announced it will finally release its long-awaited new food guide in the spring of [...]

The death of ‘Click and collect’ food shopping is unavoidable (The Globe and Mail)

26 December 2018

Grocers can no longer afford to wait for their money to show up at their stores. They need to go after it. E-commerce in the grocery business was barely a thought five years ago. Most companies [...]

Six ways to save money on groceries as prices rise in 2019 (BNN Bloomberg)

21 December 2018

Food prices are going up in 2019, but that doesn’t mean you should skip the greens. The cost of vegetables is going up by four to six per cent next year, according to a study co-authored by the [...]

Why grocery store self-checkouts are such a pain (The Chronicle Herald)

21 November 2018

Poorly designed self-checkout lanes have been a source of frustration. According to a recent survey by Dalhousie University, a full 66 per cent of us have used self-checkout lanes at some point [...]

Will edible packaging become mainstream? (Canadian Grocers)

8 November 2018

Within a year, single-use plastics and excess packaging have become Public Enemy No. 1. A recent Greenpeace-led audit looked at the companies behind the waste lining Canadian waterways.

Flexitarianism muscles its way on to the food-service menu (Troy Media)

6 November 2018

Almost one-fifth of Canadians go meatless at various levels and restaurants are slowly adapting to this new reality.

To be truly successful, dairy farmers need more than Ottawa’s money (The Globe and Mail)

11 October 2018

They may not know it yet, but the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) could become the watershed moment for which Canadian dairy farmers have been waiting.

Why Ottawa’s countertariffs could boost the country’s food industry (The Globe and Mail)

6 June 2018

We are now officially at war with the United States – trade war, that is. In response to U.S.-imposed tariffs on steel and aluminum, Canada intends to introduce levies on some U.S. goods. Like [...]

How Tim Hortons lost its connection with the Canadian public (The Globe and Mail)

11 April 2018

Léger and National Public Relations last week released their annual report ranking Canada’s most admired companies and Tim Horton’s went from No. 4 to No. 50 in just 12 months.

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