According to the latest retail data, sales of “Made in Canada” food products are up more than 10 per cent year-over-year as of September 2025, while U.S.-made products are down nearly nine per cent.
Stories by Sylvain Charlebois
Lab-made food unlikely to win over shoppers
The future of food will not be defined by lab breakthroughs alone. Success will hinge on taste, transparency, affordability and respect for tradition.
How counter-tariff policy cans Canadian choice
Op-Ed: The cross-border travels of Bick’s pickles turn sour for consumers and producers
The unavailability of the storied Canadian pickle brand Bick’s, now processed and jarred in the U.S., shows how well-intentioned counter-tariff policy can turn sour on Canada’s consumers and cucumber growers.
Strict plant-based diets don’t thrill Canadians
While some may view the decline in omnivorous eating as a sign of a plant-based shift in Canada, the data challenges this, showing a more fragmented and pragmatic shift in consumer behaviour, influenced by multiple factors.
Tariff threat requires major changes
Few political figures have shaken global markets like U.S. president-elect Donald Trump. His recent threats to impose sweeping tariffs — 25 per cent on Canadian and Mexican agricultural products and 10 per cent on Chinese goods — sent shockwaves through currency markets, sinking the Canadian dollar by a cent within seconds. These tariffs, framed as […] Read more
Are we losing control over our food?
Less than five percent of people really understand how our food goes from farm to table. A quick look at social media shows that misinformation spreads faster than scientific facts, and many people struggle to find reliable information. Whether it’s genetically modified organisms, organic food, buying local, climate change or corporate greed in agri-food, most […] Read more
Ottawa’s EV move abandons canola
Canada’s decision to impose tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles was a predictable move. Ottawa fully anticipated retaliation, which came swiftly as China announced an anti-dumping investigation into Canadian canola exports. While there is no evidence of dumping, the facts are largely irrelevant in this case. China will proceed with sanctions regardless of the explanations provided […] Read more
Where’s the listeria outbreak outrage?
The reaction to the recent Silk and Great Value plant-based dairy recall has been perplexing, to say the least, despite three confirmed deaths now linked to the listeria outbreak. The first fatality occurred back in August 2023, almost a year before the official recall on July 8, 2024. Yet, there has been little public explanation […] Read more
Stretchflation latest grocery bill bite
We are all familiar with “shrinkflation,” in which the quantity of a product decreases while the price remains the same, and “shelflation,” in which a product’s shelf life is compromised due to supply chain issues. These phenomena, which have been around for decades, contribute to the rising cost of groceries. However, a new trend called […] Read more
Grocer code of conduct has benefits
The recent announcement that American retail giants Walmart and Costco will be joining the Grocer Code of Conduct, alongside established Canadian players such as Loblaw, Sobeys and Metro, marks a critical step forward in the evolution of Canada’s grocery sector. This collective commitment by all major players is vital for the code’s effectiveness and represents […] Read more
