Grocery Competition & Real Estate, Canadian Food Bank Crisis and guest Per Bank, President & CEO, Loblaw Companies Limited

On this episode of The Food Professor Podcast, presented by Caddle, hosts Michael LeBlanc and Sylvain Charlebois bring on an influential guest: Per Bank, President and CEO of Loblaw Companies Limited.Bank, who joined Loblaw in late 2023 after a diverse career in Europe, shares his perspectives on Canadian retail, competition, and his vision for the company's future.In the news, we discuss Per's recent op-ed in The Globe and Mail, where he challenges current competition practices and addresses "false narratives" about retail consolidation, suggesting that Loblaw is open to removing specific property controls—if other industry leaders do the same.We explore other key food industry stories, including McDonald's recent health crisis linked to onion contamination, resulting in a steep traffic decline, especially in Colorado, and the CFIA's findings on safety in plant-based milk facilities.Additional segments cover legislation updates with Bill C-282, the HungerCount2024 report, Second Harvest's analysis on food waste, and the ongoing issue of shrinkage and theft in the food industry, featuring a quirky story of Jamie Oliver's "grate cheese robbery" campaign.About PerPer BankPresident and Chief Executive OfficerLoblaw Companies LimitedPer Bank is President and Chief Executive Officer of Loblaw Companies Limited, Canada’s food and pharmacy leader, and the country’s largest retailer and private-sector employer. In this role, which he assumed in November 2023, Mr. Bank is responsible for executing Loblaw’s corporate strategy and overseeing all aspects of the business’ day-to-day operations.Under Mr. Bank’s leadership, Loblaw operates a network of 2,500 stores, pharmacies and e-commerce options, featuring many of Canada’s favorite and most-trusted brands, including President’s Choice, no name, Loblaws, Shoppers Drug Mart, No Frills, Real Canadian Superstore, T&T, Joe Fresh, PC Express and PC Financial. The company’s loyalty program, PC Optimum, is world-renowned with more than 16 million members. Its supply chain and technology networks are among the country’s most robust.With a background in engineering and industrial businesses, Mr. Bank’s expertise is exhaustive and undeniable. For over 20 years, he’s acted as Chief Executive Officer for a wide range of consumer and retail companies across various global markets. Prior to joining Loblaw, he was CEO of Salling Group A/S with operations in Denmark, Germany, Poland; CEO of Tesco Hungary; and CEO of Coop Norden’s operations in Sweden, Norway, Denmark. He has also held senior leadership positions with Mars and Danfoss.Mr. Bank leads with purpose, values authenticity, and emphasizes open and honest two-way communication with both employee and customers. He is a decisive executive that brings unique voices and perspectives to every discussion.Mr. Bank is a native of Denmark, and is married with two university-aged children. The Food Professor #podcast is presented by Caddle.  About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor in food distribution and policy in the Faculties of Management and Agriculture at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Before joining Dalhousie, he was affiliated with the University of Guelph’s Arrell Food Institute, which he co-founded. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. Google Scholar ranks him as one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability.He has authored five books on global food systems, his most recent one published in 2017 by Wiley-Blackwell entitled “Food Safety, Risk Intelligence and Benchmarking”. He has also published over 500 peer-reviewed journal articles in several academic publications. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, including The Lancet, The Economist, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, BBC, NBC, ABC, Fox News, Foreign Affairs, the Globe & Mail, the National Post and the Toronto Star.Dr. Charlebois sits on a few company boards, and supports many organizations as a special advisor, including some publicly traded companies. Charlebois is also a member of the Scientific Council of the Business Scientific Institute, based in Luxemburg. Dr. Charlebois is a member of the Global Food Traceability Centre’s Advisory Board based in Washington DC, and a member of the National Scientific Committee of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in Ottawa. Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and now, media entrepreneur.  He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels, most recently on the main stage in Toronto at Retail Council of Canada’s Retail Marketing conference with leaders from Walmart & Google.  He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, CanWest Media, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in America, Remarkable Retail with his partner, Dallas-based best-selling author Steve Dennis; Canada's top retail industry podcast The Voice of Retail and Canada's top food industry and one of the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University in Halifax.Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail experts for the fourth year in a row, Thinkers 360 has named him on of the Top 50 global thought leaders in retail, RTIH has named him a top 100 global though leader in retail technology and Coresight Research has named Michael a Retail AI Influencer.  If you are a BBQ fan, you can tune into Michael’s cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.Michael is available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state and future of the retail industry in North America and around the world. 

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. Millennials and Gen Z are more likely to prioritize eco-friendly choices, but affordability is challenging, especially for younger consumers. Colleen also discussed skepticism surrounding corporate greenwashing, with many respondents expressing distrust in sustainability claims made by large companies.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. He predicted beef prices will continue to rise through 2025, with a possibility of beef pricing itself out of the market if trends continue. The episode also touched on the E. coli outbreak affecting McDonald's U.S. supply chain, which was managed efficiently but raised concerns about food safety.The episode concluded with reflections on provincial elections and interprovincial trade barriers. The Food Professor #podcast is presented by Caddle.  About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor in food distribution and policy in the Faculties of Management and Agriculture at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Before joining Dalhousie, he was affiliated with the University of Guelph’s Arrell Food Institute, which he co-founded. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. Google Scholar ranks him as one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability.He has authored five books on global food systems, his most recent one published in 2017 by Wiley-Blackwell entitled “Food Safety, Risk Intelligence and Benchmarking”. He has also published over 500 peer-reviewed journal articles in several academic publications. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, including The Lancet, The Economist, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, BBC, NBC, ABC, Fox News, Foreign Affairs, the Globe & Mail, the National Post and the Toronto Star.Dr. Charlebois sits on a few company boards, and supports many organizations as a special advisor, including some publicly traded companies. Charlebois is also a member of the Scientific Council of the Business Scientific Institute, based in Luxemburg. Dr. Charlebois is a member of the Global Food Traceability Centre’s Advisory Board based in Washington DC, and a member of the National Scientific Committee of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in Ottawa. Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and now, media entrepreneur.  He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels, most recently on the main stage in Toronto at Retail Council of Canada’s Retail Marketing conference with leaders from Walmart & Google.  He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, CanWest Media, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in America, Remarkable Retail with his partner, Dallas-based best-selling author Steve Dennis; Canada's top retail industry podcast The Voice of Retail and Canada's top food industry and one of the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University in Halifax.Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail experts for the fourth year in a row, Thinkers 360 has named him on of the Top 50 global thought leaders in retail, RTIH has named him a top 100 global though leader in retail technology and Coresight Research has named Michael a Retail AI Influencer.  If you are a BBQ fan, you can tune into Michael’s cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.Michael is available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state and future of the retail industry in North America and around the world. 

In the latest episode of The Food Professor Podcast, presented by Caddle, we welcome a special guest, 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.Michael, joining from Chicago, shares his experiences in the Windy City's vibrant food scene, recounting a visit to El Che restaurant and commenting on Chicago's competitive food service industry. He also reminds listeners about the upcoming Coffee Association of Canada conference on November 14th in Markham, where tickets quickly sell out.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. The launch of Maple Leaf's new pork division, Canada Packers, is also discussed, followed by commentary on the latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) data, which signals growing concerns about the competitiveness of Canada's agrifood sector.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921800924003100?dgcid=coauthorhttps://coffeeassoc.com/annual-conference/ About ZeeshanZeeshan Fazal is a Regional Manager at EDC, responsible for a team of Relationship Managers supporting Canadian companies to penetrate, grow and succeed internationally. He is also responsible to strategically increase EDC's support to Québec companies in Agriculture and Agrifood sectors.Mr. Fazal has significant experience in assisting Manufacturing, Technology and Innovation companies to go, grow and succeed internationally. Prior to his appointment to the Business Development team, Mr. Fazal held various underwriting positions for Accounts Receivable Insurance, Bank Guarantees and Loan Guarantees. He was also a Lean Sustainability Advisor where he collaborated closely with internal stakeholders to help lead projects, improve operational efficiencies and client communication processes.  514-876-7115  [email protected]  edc.ca Outside of EDC, Mr. Fazal was a lecturer at McGill University where he taught International Finance, Corporate Finance and Financial Statement Analysis. Most recently, he also taught a course on Business Valuation at the Smith School of Business at Queens University. Furthermore, he taught CITP professional designation courses on Global Value Chain and International Trade Finance. About EDCExport Development Canada is Canada's export credit agency. We are dedicated to helping Canadian companies, of all sizes, go, grow and succeed beyond our borders. As international risk experts, we provide them with knowledge, financing, insurance and connections. We also provide financial solutions to global companies to facilitate and grow purchases from Canadian companies. We take on risk, so they can take on the world. Learn more at www.edc.ca. Mr. Fazal holds a Master of Business Administration from the Smith School of Management (Queens University), a bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting and Biology from McGill University. He is also a Certified International Trade Professional (CITP | FIBP). The Food Professor #podcast is presented by Caddle.  About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor in food distribution and policy in the Faculties of Management and Agriculture at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Before joining Dalhousie, he was affiliated with the University of Guelph’s Arrell Food Institute, which he co-founded. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. Google Scholar ranks him as one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability.He has authored five books on global food systems, his most recent one published in 2017 by Wiley-Blackwell entitled “Food Safety, Risk Intelligence and Benchmarking”. He has also published over 500 peer-reviewed journal articles in several academic publications. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, including The Lancet, The Economist, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, BBC, NBC, ABC, Fox News, Foreign Affairs, the Globe & Mail, the National Post and the Toronto Star.Dr. Charlebois sits on a few company boards, and supports many organizations as a special advisor, including some publicly traded companies. Charlebois is also a member of the Scientific Council of the Business Scientific Institute, based in Luxemburg. Dr. Charlebois is a member of the Global Food Traceability Centre’s Advisory Board based in Washington DC, and a member of the National Scientific Committee of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in Ottawa. Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and now, media entrepreneur.  He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels, most recently on the main stage in Toronto at Retail Council of Canada’s Retail Marketing conference with leaders from Walmart & Google.  He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, CanWest Media, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in America, Remarkable Retail with his partner, Dallas-based best-selling author Steve Dennis; Canada's top retail industry podcast The Voice of Retail and Canada's top food industry and one of the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University in Halifax.Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail experts for the fourth year in a row, Thinkers 360 has named him on of the Top 50 global thought leaders in retail, RTIH has named him a top 100 global though leader in retail technology and Coresight Research has named Michael a Retail AI Influencer.  If you are a BBQ fan, you can tune into Michael’s cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.Michael is available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state and future of the retail industry in North America and around the world. 

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. We dive deep into the world of agricultural entrepreneurship, with Sylvain providing his expert insights, particularly as someone who admires the ag innovators of Saskatchewan.Sylvain also brings us updates from his recent travels to Calgary, where he explored the latest Carbon Border Assessment Mechanisms developments.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.We also explore how allergy-friendly restaurants find a competitive edge in a challenging food service market. In the spirit of consumer trends, we discuss how significant brands like St-Hubert respond to consumer price sensitivities with freezes and discounts.Lastly, we touch on exciting news from Couche-Tard's business landscape as they increase their bid in the ever-competitive market. Tune in for this packed episode full of insights and expert commentary on the future of food and sustainability!Read the full Canadian Food Sentiment report here.  The Food Professor #podcast is presented by Caddle.  About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor in food distribution and policy in the Faculties of Management and Agriculture at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Before joining Dalhousie, he was affiliated with the University of Guelph’s Arrell Food Institute, which he co-founded. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. Google Scholar ranks him as one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability.He has authored five books on global food systems, his most recent one published in 2017 by Wiley-Blackwell entitled “Food Safety, Risk Intelligence and Benchmarking”. He has also published over 500 peer-reviewed journal articles in several academic publications. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, including The Lancet, The Economist, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, BBC, NBC, ABC, Fox News, Foreign Affairs, the Globe & Mail, the National Post and the Toronto Star.Dr. Charlebois sits on a few company boards, and supports many organizations as a special advisor, including some publicly traded companies. Charlebois is also a member of the Scientific Council of the Business Scientific Institute, based in Luxemburg. Dr. Charlebois is a member of the Global Food Traceability Centre’s Advisory Board based in Washington DC, and a member of the National Scientific Committee of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in Ottawa. Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and now, media entrepreneur.  He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels, most recently on the main stage in Toronto at Retail Council of Canada’s Retail Marketing conference with leaders from Walmart & Google.  He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, CanWest Media, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in America, Remarkable Retail with his partner, Dallas-based best-selling author Steve Dennis; Canada's top retail industry podcast The Voice of Retail and Canada's top food industry and one of the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University in Halifax.Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail experts for the fourth year in a row, Thinkers 360 has named him on of the Top 50 global thought leaders in retail, RTIH has named him a top 100 global though leader in retail technology and Coresight Research has named Michael a Retail AI Influencer.  If you are a BBQ fan, you can tune into Michael’s cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.Michael is available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state and future of the retail industry in North America and around the world. 

Welcome to The Food Professor Podcast, presented by Caddle! 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—what’s driving the increase, and is this the moment for robusta to take center stage over arabica? Stay tuned for more as we gear up for the Coffee Association of Canada’s conference on November 14 in Toronto!In other news, we explore the concerns around parasites in oysters on the East Coast; 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. About Marie-NoëlleMarie-Noëlle Cano is the President of CANO Intelligence Collective Inc., a consulting firm founded after more than 20 years of experience advising executives of Quebec, Canadian, and international companies in 360-communications and Sustainable Development, thanks to her strategic and innovative business thinking.With her multi-sector experience, both local, national, and international, and her ability to leverage team talents, Marie-Noëlle is a trusted resource for the leaders she collaborates with. She also serves on various boards and committees.Throughout her career, she has held management positions that have led her to spearhead major, differentiating projects in communications, business strategies, and sustainable development with her teams.Between 2021 and 2024, the CTAQ (Quebec Food Processing Council) and MAPAQ (Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food of Quebec) sought her expertise as a consultant to initiate and develop a crucial initiative for Quebec: the launch of Amélioration Alimentaire Québec (AAQ), whose mission is to encourage decision-makers in Quebec’s food industry to increase the supply of products with enhanced nutritional value.She is also a graduate of HEC Montreal (Business School) and the University of Montreal in management and public relations, as well as in Catalan language and literature. Marie-Noëlle is currently pursuing studies at the University of Sherbrooke to obtain accreditation from the Ministry of Justice of the Government of Quebec as a civil, commercial, and workplace mediator.___Quick and acute analysis. Clear and grounded vision. Inspiring leadership. A magnetic approach that captivates collaborators, with an ability to see talent & increase engagement, ensuring results & success for you as an executive, your teams and your business. Perfectly bilingual with world-wide and multi-sector experience. Canadian and European (France) Citizenships. https://collectivecano.com/en.html# The Food Professor #podcast is presented by Caddle.  About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor in food distribution and policy in the Faculties of Management and Agriculture at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Before joining Dalhousie, he was affiliated with the University of Guelph’s Arrell Food Institute, which he co-founded. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. Google Scholar ranks him as one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability.He has authored five books on global food systems, his most recent one published in 2017 by Wiley-Blackwell entitled “Food Safety, Risk Intelligence and Benchmarking”. He has also published over 500 peer-reviewed journal articles in several academic publications. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, including The Lancet, The Economist, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, BBC, NBC, ABC, Fox News, Foreign Affairs, the Globe & Mail, the National Post and the Toronto Star.Dr. Charlebois sits on a few company boards, and supports many organizations as a special advisor, including some publicly traded companies. Charlebois is also a member of the Scientific Council of the Business Scientific Institute, based in Luxemburg. Dr. Charlebois is a member of the Global Food Traceability Centre’s Advisory Board based in Washington DC, and a member of the National Scientific Committee of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in Ottawa. Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and now, media entrepreneur.  He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels, most recently on the main stage in Toronto at Retail Council of Canada’s Retail Marketing conference with leaders from Walmart & Google.  He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, CanWest Media, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in America, Remarkable Retail with his partner, Dallas-based best-selling author Steve Dennis; Canada's top retail industry podcast The Voice of Retail and Canada's top food industry and one of the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University in Halifax.Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail experts for the fourth year in a row, Thinkers 360 has named him on of the Top 50 global thought leaders in retail, RTIH has named him a top 100 global though leader in retail technology and Coresight Research has named Michael a Retail AI Influencer.  If you are a BBQ fan, you can tune into Michael’s cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.Michael is available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state and future of the retail industry in North America and around the world. 

In this episode of the Food Professor Podcast, 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. Michael is tuning in from the RevTech Accelerator summit in Dallas and brings the perspective of what people are talking about here in the U.S. in the food industry, avian flu and the rising cost of eggs, with some states seeing egg prices surge over 100%. The episode also touches on food supply issues due to labour disruptions, including potential banana shortages and strikes at critical ports in the U.S. and Canada. We also explore the real-world repercussions of Bill C-293, passed through parliament now in front of the Senate, which Sylvain wonders if it is better known as Canada's 'Vegan Act.' We also discuss disruptions' effects on food retailers, food banks, and restaurants, and Sylvain's op-ed "Feasts and Famine."https://torontosun.com/opinion/columnists/charlebois-is-bill-c-293-canadas-vegan-act About AndrewIn 2018, Andrew Andriano was just 23 years old. He’d dropped out of university and had declined to enter his father’s business. With a future that would put most young adults into a tailspin, Andrew’s resilience and entrepreneurship began to shine through. His journey began with precarious housing and lots of toaster waffles smothered in sugary spreads. With late nights and early mornings, he soon realized that his sugar laden start to the day wasn’t setting him up for success. Tired of feeling sluggish and constantly hungry, Andriano reached out to his brother, Peter, a chef who had the capabilities to create a breakfast option that wasn’t frozen or from a box. After many trials and errors, they came up with the perfect pancake recipe: high in protein, high in fibre and high in flavour, but minus the sugar. Since then, Flourish has gone on to serve more than two million pancakes to North Americans. With a mission to fuel progress with high-protein, low-sugar foods that taste flippin’ delicious, Andrew and his team make breakfasts that deliver a daily dose of enjoyment and pack a serious nutritional punch. Backed by Arlene Dickinson, of Dragon’s Den, Flourish is on track to be a $18 million dollar business within the next twelve months, and was named the fastest growing CPG company in Canada, by the Globe and Mail in 2022 and 2023. Not only has the Flourish team built a business which is outpacing category growth and is Canada’s leading better-for-you pancake mix, it has also built a social media following with over 51,000 followers. Flourish, a team of only 9, is now focused on aggressively acquiring new users and creating new eating occasions across the United States and Canada. Flourish is determined to transform breakfast categories with low-sugar, high protein solutions. Flourish has been able to attract top talent from organizations such as Coca-Cola, Deloitte and Kraft Heinz. He has created a close-knit culture of colleagues who also consider themselves friends, and each are as committed to the success and mission of the business as Andrew. 2024 has already been an important year for the Flourish family, with a rebrand, a recipe enhancement, flavour extensions and the launch of the new Mug Cakes.  The Food Professor #podcast is presented by Caddle.  About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor in food distribution and policy in the Faculties of Management and Agriculture at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Before joining Dalhousie, he was affiliated with the University of Guelph’s Arrell Food Institute, which he co-founded. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. Google Scholar ranks him as one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability.He has authored five books on global food systems, his most recent one published in 2017 by Wiley-Blackwell entitled “Food Safety, Risk Intelligence and Benchmarking”. He has also published over 500 peer-reviewed journal articles in several academic publications. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, including The Lancet, The Economist, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, BBC, NBC, ABC, Fox News, Foreign Affairs, the Globe & Mail, the National Post and the Toronto Star.Dr. Charlebois sits on a few company boards, and supports many organizations as a special advisor, including some publicly traded companies. Charlebois is also a member of the Scientific Council of the Business Scientific Institute, based in Luxemburg. Dr. Charlebois is a member of the Global Food Traceability Centre’s Advisory Board based in Washington DC, and a member of the National Scientific Committee of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in Ottawa. Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and now, media entrepreneur.  He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels, most recently on the main stage in Toronto at Retail Council of Canada’s Retail Marketing conference with leaders from Walmart & Google.  He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, CanWest Media, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in America, Remarkable Retail with his partner, Dallas-based best-selling author Steve Dennis; Canada's top retail industry podcast The Voice of Retail and Canada's top food industry and one of the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University in Halifax.Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail experts for the fourth year in a row, Thinkers 360 has named him on of the Top 50 global thought leaders in retail, RTIH has named him a top 100 global though leader in retail technology and Coresight Research has named Michael a Retail AI Influencer.  If you are a BBQ fan, you can tune into Michael’s cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.Michael is available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state and future of the retail industry in North America and around the world. 

In this episode of The Food Professor Podcast, Michael hosts Maxime Beauchesne from Pâtisserie Michaud, recorded live at the SIAL food innovation show. Maxime shares the history of the company, founded by Colette Michaud in 1983, and discusses how it has grown under the leadership of her son, Mario Michaud and his wife, Sophie Alain. The conversation highlights their success in diversifying sales channels, maintaining operational excellence, and what innovation looks like in this 60-year-old Quebec-based business.Sylvain provides insights on recent changes to Canada's Temporary Foreign Worker and student visa programs and thoughts on the impacts on the restaurant sector, the effects of Quebec's new tip transparency regulations, and the broader economic landscape, touching on issues like Tupperware's bankruptcy and rising CPI concerns and food insecurity with a Federal government that continues to lose byelections and not address issues within its own house that could address food insecurity. Song Credit Eating The Cats(Donald Trump ReMix)https://twitter.com/RpsAgainstTrump/status/1834689445238612141  The Food Professor #podcast is presented by Caddle.  About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor in food distribution and policy in the Faculties of Management and Agriculture at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Before joining Dalhousie, he was affiliated with the University of Guelph’s Arrell Food Institute, which he co-founded. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. Google Scholar ranks him as one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability.He has authored five books on global food systems, his most recent one published in 2017 by Wiley-Blackwell entitled “Food Safety, Risk Intelligence and Benchmarking”. He has also published over 500 peer-reviewed journal articles in several academic publications. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, including The Lancet, The Economist, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, BBC, NBC, ABC, Fox News, Foreign Affairs, the Globe & Mail, the National Post and the Toronto Star.Dr. Charlebois sits on a few company boards, and supports many organizations as a special advisor, including some publicly traded companies. Charlebois is also a member of the Scientific Council of the Business Scientific Institute, based in Luxemburg. Dr. Charlebois is a member of the Global Food Traceability Centre’s Advisory Board based in Washington DC, and a member of the National Scientific Committee of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in Ottawa. Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and now, media entrepreneur.  He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels, most recently on the main stage in Toronto at Retail Council of Canada’s Retail Marketing conference with leaders from Walmart & Google.  He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, CanWest Media, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in America, Remarkable Retail with his partner, Dallas-based best-selling author Steve Dennis; Canada's top retail industry podcast The Voice of Retail and Canada's top food industry and one of the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University in Halifax.Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail experts for the fourth year in a row, Thinkers 360 has named him on of the Top 50 global thought leaders in retail, RTIH has named him a top 100 global though leader in retail technology and Coresight Research has named Michael a Retail AI Influencer.  If you are a BBQ fan, you can tune into Michael’s cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.Michael is available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state and future of the retail industry in North America and around the world. 

The podcast episode discusses several important topics, focusing on grocery e-commerce, sustainability, and economic trends in food access. The hosts, Michael LeBlanc and Sylvain Charlebois, along with guest Colleen Martin for Caddle, analyze proprietary research data on online grocery shopping habits among Canadians. Key findings include:Online Grocery Shopping Trends: About 36.7% of Canadians have purchased groceries online in the past year, with younger generations (Gen Z and Millennials) being the most active users. Urban areas, especially Ontario, show higher adoption rates, while rural and remote regions face barriers like limited access and higher delivery fees.Motivations and Barriers: Convenience and time savings are the primary reasons for online grocery shopping. In contrast, concerns over product quality, delivery costs, and a preference for in-store shopping prevent others from adopting the practice.Sustainability and Consumer Behavior: The discussion touches on sustainability in the food industry, particularly in meat production. The CEO of JBS argues that while sustainable practices are crucial, consumers are unwilling to pay a premium for them, especially amid inflation.Food Insecurity in Ontario: One million Ontarians have used food banks in the past year, a worrying indicator of growing economic inequality. The hosts connect this trend to broader economic challenges, including inflation, wage stagnation, and rising personal debt.These insights highlight shifts in consumer behavior, economic pressures, and sustainability challenges in Canada's food industry. The Food Professor #podcast is presented by Caddle.  About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor in food distribution and policy in the Faculties of Management and Agriculture at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Before joining Dalhousie, he was affiliated with the University of Guelph’s Arrell Food Institute, which he co-founded. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. Google Scholar ranks him as one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability.He has authored five books on global food systems, his most recent one published in 2017 by Wiley-Blackwell entitled “Food Safety, Risk Intelligence and Benchmarking”. He has also published over 500 peer-reviewed journal articles in several academic publications. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, including The Lancet, The Economist, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, BBC, NBC, ABC, Fox News, Foreign Affairs, the Globe & Mail, the National Post and the Toronto Star.Dr. Charlebois sits on a few company boards, and supports many organizations as a special advisor, including some publicly traded companies. Charlebois is also a member of the Scientific Council of the Business Scientific Institute, based in Luxemburg. Dr. Charlebois is a member of the Global Food Traceability Centre’s Advisory Board based in Washington DC, and a member of the National Scientific Committee of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in Ottawa. Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and now, media entrepreneur.  He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels, most recently on the main stage in Toronto at Retail Council of Canada’s Retail Marketing conference with leaders from Walmart & Google.  He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, CanWest Media, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in America, Remarkable Retail with his partner, Dallas-based best-selling author Steve Dennis; Canada's top retail industry podcast The Voice of Retail and Canada's top food industry and one of the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University in Halifax.Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail experts for the fourth year in a row, Thinkers 360 has named him on of the Top 50 global thought leaders in retail, RTIH has named him a top 100 global though leader in retail technology and Coresight Research has named Michael a Retail AI Influencer.  If you are a BBQ fan, you can tune into Michael’s cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.Michael is available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state and future of the retail industry in North America and around the world. 

In this episode, we welcome Francois Bouchard, Senior Vice President of Subscriber Engagement at GS1 Canada, live from the SIAL innovation show in Montreal. We dive into the latest innovation from GS1—the introduction of 2D barcodes and how it impacts global product tracking.We also discuss various hot topics, such as the changing landscape for convenience stores in Ontario, new beer sales regulations, and The Beer Store's product expansion. We tackle international trade tensions as China retaliates with threats against Canada's canola industry and consider the potential effects on CUSMA/North American trade negotiations. Additionally, we explore labour restrictions affecting the restaurant industry and the impact of Starbucks' leadership changes. Tune in for speculation on a potential Couche-Tard acquisition of 7-Eleven and hear our take on a controversial issue—cloned cow milk in Canada. We cover the impacts of another rate cut in the Bank of Canada's interest rate. Finally, we touch on the political future of Canada with Jagmeet Singh's NDP's announcement of the end of their Confidence & Supply Agreement with the Trudeau Liberals, with a possible election on the horizon, and what it could mean for the agricultural sector. The Food Professor #podcast is presented by Caddle.  About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor in food distribution and policy in the Faculties of Management and Agriculture at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Before joining Dalhousie, he was affiliated with the University of Guelph’s Arrell Food Institute, which he co-founded. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. Google Scholar ranks him as one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability.He has authored five books on global food systems, his most recent one published in 2017 by Wiley-Blackwell entitled “Food Safety, Risk Intelligence and Benchmarking”. He has also published over 500 peer-reviewed journal articles in several academic publications. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, including The Lancet, The Economist, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, BBC, NBC, ABC, Fox News, Foreign Affairs, the Globe & Mail, the National Post and the Toronto Star.Dr. Charlebois sits on a few company boards, and supports many organizations as a special advisor, including some publicly traded companies. Charlebois is also a member of the Scientific Council of the Business Scientific Institute, based in Luxemburg. Dr. Charlebois is a member of the Global Food Traceability Centre’s Advisory Board based in Washington DC, and a member of the National Scientific Committee of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in Ottawa. Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and now, media entrepreneur.  He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels, most recently on the main stage in Toronto at Retail Council of Canada’s Retail Marketing conference with leaders from Walmart & Google.  He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, CanWest Media, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in America, Remarkable Retail with his partner, Dallas-based best-selling author Steve Dennis; Canada's top retail industry podcast The Voice of Retail and Canada's top food industry and one of the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University in Halifax.Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail experts for the fourth year in a row, Thinkers 360 has named him on of the Top 50 global thought leaders in retail, RTIH has named him a top 100 global though leader in retail technology and Coresight Research has named Michael a Retail AI Influencer.  If you are a BBQ fan, you can tune into Michael’s cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.Michael is available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state and future of the retail industry in North America and around the world. 

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 in June. 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! Tony brings his powerful insights to the grocery sector, sharing his unique perspective on the industry's future. And in a thought-provoking twist, we ask Tony what he would do if he were handed the keys to a grocery empire.About TonyTony Chapman is a trailblazing force in the marketing and content world, a three-time Hall of Fame inductee who built two globally acclaimed agencies and an innovative research firm from the ground up. Today, Tony is the host of the hit podcast Chatter That Matters, a trusted and dynamic media commentator, and a sought-after speaker.Chatter That Matters, hosted by Tony, is a podcast about people who overcome circumstances to chase their dreams and change the world for the better. His guests include Olympians, Emmy, Grammy, and Oscar nominees, NY Times Best Sellers, thought leaders, change makers, and stories of people you've never heard of, but whose journeys will inspire.Download Chatter that Matters wherever you get your podcasts, or you can listen here:  https://chatterthatmatters.libsyn.com/Twitter:   @TonyChapman  -  https://twitter.com/tonychapman Linked In:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/tonychapmanreactions/ IG              https://www.instagram.com/chatterthatmatters/ FB.            https://www.facebook.com/tonychapmancanada/ The Food Professor #podcast is presented by Caddle.  About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor in food distribution and policy in the Faculties of Management and Agriculture at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Before joining Dalhousie, he was affiliated with the University of Guelph’s Arrell Food Institute, which he co-founded. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. Google Scholar ranks him as one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability.He has authored five books on global food systems, his most recent one published in 2017 by Wiley-Blackwell entitled “Food Safety, Risk Intelligence and Benchmarking”. He has also published over 500 peer-reviewed journal articles in several academic publications. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, including The Lancet, The Economist, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, BBC, NBC, ABC, Fox News, Foreign Affairs, the Globe & Mail, the National Post and the Toronto Star.Dr. Charlebois sits on a few company boards, and supports many organizations as a special advisor, including some publicly traded companies. Charlebois is also a member of the Scientific Council of the Business Scientific Institute, based in Luxemburg. Dr. Charlebois is a member of the Global Food Traceability Centre’s Advisory Board based in Washington DC, and a member of the National Scientific Committee of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in Ottawa. Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and now, media entrepreneur.  He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels, most recently on the main stage in Toronto at Retail Council of Canada’s Retail Marketing conference with leaders from Walmart & Google.  He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, CanWest Media, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in America, Remarkable Retail with his partner, Dallas-based best-selling author Steve Dennis; Canada's top retail industry podcast The Voice of Retail and Canada's top food industry and one of the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University in Halifax.Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail experts for the fourth year in a row, Thinkers 360 has named him on of the Top 50 global thought leaders in retail, RTIH has named him a top 100 global though leader in retail technology and Coresight Research has named Michael a Retail AI Influencer.  If you are a BBQ fan, you can tune into Michael’s cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.Michael is available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state and future of the retail industry in North America and around the world.