The Food Professor copertina

The Food Professor

The Food Professor

Di: Michael LeBlanc Dr. Sylvain Charlebois
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A proposito di questo titolo

 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. © 2020-2026 M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc. All Rights Reserved.2020-2026 The Food Professor podcast partnership Economia Gestione e leadership Management Politica e governo Scienze politiche
Episodi
  • Dunkin' Returns, Dairy Dumping No More, Climate Change Recalibration, and guest Kim Furlong, CEO, Retail Council of Canada

    Dunkin' Returns, Dairy Dumping No More, Climate Change Recalibration, and guest Kim Furlong, CEO, Retail Council of Canada
    May 14 2026
    This week on The Food Professor Podcast, recorded live from the West Coast, Syvain in Chilliwack, Michael in L.A., begin with a fast-moving roundup of the biggest food, grocery, and agriculture headlines shaping Canada. First, the hosts unpack Dunkin's return to Canada and debate where the iconic brand could fit in a market dominated by Tim Hortons and McDonald's. They also explore major developments in Canada’s greenhouse sector, dairy production policy, and the growing demand for dairy proteins as producers respond to changing consumer habits. The conversation then turns to some of the most consequential policy issues impacting food prices and agriculture today, including climate science, industrial carbon pricing, Canadian counter-tariffs, and what new signals from the Bank of Canada could mean for grocery inflation, farm economics, and consumer affordability. Michael and Sylvain offer their unfiltered analysis on government policy, food security, and how unintended consequences continue to ripple across Canadian households. Then, the episode shifts into a compelling long-form interview with Kim Furlong, CEO of Retail Council of Canada. In one of her first major podcast interviews since assuming the role, Kim provides a rare behind-the-scenes look at the realities of modern retail in Canada. She discusses stepping into the leadership role previously held by industry icon Diane Brisebois, and explains why the grocery business remains one of the most misunderstood sectors in the country. Kim breaks down why Canadians often “see the shelf, but not the supply chain,” revealing the upstream pressures—from transportation and labour costs to energy prices and currency fluctuations—that shape food prices long before products ever reach store shelves. She also tackles some of retail’s hottest issues, including algorithmic pricing, surveillance pricing concerns, the Grocery Code of Conduct, AI-driven supply chains, domestic sourcing, Buy Canadian momentum, and how retailers are preparing for a future defined by geopolitical disruption, economic volatility, and changing consumer expectations. We also hear about Michael’s visit to Laurel Supply, a new bespoke grocery store in West Hollywood that could be the most beautiful grocery store in America, thanks to the amazing work of Kevin Kelley’s Shook Kelley retail design firm. 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.
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    1 ora
  • Restaurant & Dairy Farmer Risks, AI Drive-Thrus & Isabelle Marquis, Co-President of the SIAL Innovation Jury & Gold Award Winner Santiago Stacey, Chief Banana Officer, Ku Na Na!

    Restaurant & Dairy Farmer Risks, AI Drive-Thrus & Isabelle Marquis, Co-President of the SIAL Innovation Jury & Gold Award Winner Santiago Stacey, Chief Banana Officer, Ku Na Na!
    May 7 2026

    On this latest episode of The Food Professor Podcast, recorded live inside the podcast fishbowl at SIAL Canada 2026 in Montreal, Michael LeBlanc and Sylvain Charlebois welcome one of the most exciting entrepreneurs in Canadian food innovation: Santiago Stacey.

    Fresh off winning SIAL’s prestigious Gold Innovation Award, Santiago shares the remarkable story behind Ku Na Na, creator of Canada’s first plant-based banana milk made from 100% rescued, upcycled bananas. Born in Ecuador—the world’s largest exporter of bananas—Santiago witnessed firsthand how millions of bananas are discarded simply for failing to meet cosmetic standards. That insight sparked a mission to create not just a beverage, but a better food system.

    Joined by innovation jury co-president Isabelle Marquis, the conversation explores why Ku Na Na stood out among more than 320 entrants. From sustainability and nutrition to taste, convenience, and commercial viability, this product hits every major trend shaping the future of food. Santiago also reveals his expansion plans across Ontario, Quebec, and beyond, while sharing why banana milk could become the next major plant-based category.

    But first, Michael and Sylvain break down the week’s biggest food and agriculture headlines.

    The hosts unpack Canada’s push toward regulatory modernization and why reducing bureaucratic layering could be critical for food innovation, entrepreneurship, and national food security. They examine troubling new data on Canada’s restaurant industry, with margin compression and closures accelerating in key markets like Ontario and Quebec.

    The conversation also dives into controversial moves by pharmacies in Quebec to pull energy drinks from shelves, AI-powered drive-thrus rolling out at Dairy Queen, and a deeply emotional discussion about dairy farmer mental health and the economic realities facing agricultural producers across North America.

    https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/03/us/dairy-farm-butter-ridge-pennsylvania.html?unlocked_article_code=1.gVA.Xwqj.Qig6BXd4EEKQ&smid=url-share

    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.

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    57 min
  • Live from SIAL in Montreal: Sovereign Ag, from Uncertain to UnKibble with our guest Dylan Munro of Spot & Tango

    Live from SIAL in Montreal: Sovereign Ag, from Uncertain to UnKibble with our guest Dylan Munro of Spot & Tango
    Apr 30 2026
    Broadcasting live from the vibrant show floor of the SIAL Food Innovation Show in Montreal, this episode of The Food Professor Podcast delivers a dynamic blend of industry insight, macroeconomic analysis, and a compelling first-ever deep dive into the fast-growing pet food sector. Our guest on this episode is Dylan Munro, Canadian-born COO and Co-Founder of Spot & Tango. Munro unpacks how the company is disrupting traditional pet food with its human-grade, vet-developed meals delivered via a direct-to-consumer subscription model. At the center of its innovation is FreshDry™ “UnKibble,” a product that bridges the gap between fresh and dry food—offering both nutritional integrity and convenience. With millions of meals already served in the U.S., Munro explains how the company is thoughtfully adapting its operations, logistics, and value proposition for Canadian pet parents—highlighting broader trends in premiumization, transparency, and health-conscious consumption across both human and pet food categories. In the news, hosts Michael LeBlanc and Sylvain Charlebois pivot to the week’s most pressing food and agriculture news. They begin with a wide-ranging macro discussion. Central banks, including the Bank of Canada and the Federal Reserve, are holding interest rates steady amid geopolitical volatility, including disruptions stemming from the Iran war and the blockages in the Strait of Hormuz. The hosts explore how these pressures ripple through global supply chains, commodity pricing, and ultimately food costs and will result in food inflation towards the top of the estimate band for 2026 of 6%. The conversation then turns to Canada’s evolving fiscal strategy, including a spring fiscal update and debate over a potential sovereign wealth fund, drawing comparisons to the Alberta Heritage Savings Trust Fund. They assess what this could mean for long-term agricultural investment and national food security. Data takes center stage with a discussion of the Canadian Food Sentiment Index from Dalhousie University’s Agri-Food Analytics Lab, supported by Caddle. The hosts unpack key findings on consumer confidence, affordability concerns, and shifting perceptions of the food system. They also tackle the increasingly controversial topic of surveillance pricing—what it is, whether it exists in practice, and how regulators and retailers are responding to the political pressure. The episode wraps with a series of sharp, fast-moving stories: follow-up legal action by Quebec’s maple syrup federation over alleged product adulteration, grassroots innovation from food banks experimenting with fresh produce, and the growing influence of creator-led food entrepreneurship—highlighted by a Montreal restaurateur hitting one million YouTube subscribers. The show closes on a celebratory note with the expansion of a local restaurant, reinforcing the resilience and creativity of Indie restaurants. 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...
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    1 ora e 6 min
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