COVID-19 has affected Canada’s food industry but, over time, resilience will prevail. However, the federal government’s pre-holiday announcement that it will increase the carbon tax to $170 per tonne by 2030 will have a long-term impact on consumers. Climate change is a real and significant problem. We need to act quickly and the carbon tax […] Read more
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Here’s why things will never be the same at the grocery store
More than five months into the pandemic, we can start to see how life will look on the other side. Food is getting more expensive. We expect prices to increase by four percent. Additional costs these days are too much to absorb for farmers, processors and distributors. Financial results were impressive for the first few […] Read more
Food sector recalibrates as Canadians flee larger cities
Canadians seem to want to flee urban centres. The food industry will need to keep a close eye on the trend. As well, real estate markets are overheating in regions outside of major cities. Recent real estate reports suggest sales are up 20 percent in many rural markets and prices have increased by at least […] Read more
Expecting more from gov’t a mistake
The Canadian Federation of Agriculture really set the bar high with its recent $2.6 billion aid request. When a federal program barely worth $252 million was announced, the disappointment felt throughout the farming community wasn’t surprising. The funds were indeed underwhelming and won’t be enough to get some of those producers to stick around. Many […] Read more
Food profiteering unusual in Canada
Even if they really haven’t had good reason, many Canadians have felt food insecure lately. Access to food has been a concern. Affordability is certainly a close second. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, consumers have occasionally taken to social media to report inflated prices by retailers. Even though the accusations were warranted in […] Read more
Red meat debate has been one-sided
For a few years, we’ve been force-fed the notion that red meat and processed meat products threaten our health. But the protein war between the livestock industry and plant-based supporters has taken an interesting twist. In 2015, the World Health Organization went as far as to say that processed meats were carcinogenic, adding them to […] Read more
Canada’s first food policy is pointless
After more than two years of work and hearing from almost 45,000 Canadians, Agriculture Canada has released its first ever food policy. A total of $134 million will be spent to support this five-year plan that centres around four major pillars: food security, health, environment, and the sustainable growth of the agriculture and food sector. […] Read more
Canada’s food processing needs a lift
Maple Leaf Foods, the largest pork processor in the country, has opted to build its new meatless plant south of the border. The iconic Canadian food company recently announced plans to spend US$310 million on building a 230,000 sq. foot processing plant in Indiana where its Lightlife Burger will be made, along with other products. […] Read more
Scientists fixate on plant-based diet
When the prestigious medical journal The Lancet published a 51-page report this month laying out a plan for a sustainable “planetary diet” that transforms how we eat and live, it made a big splash. The group of 37 experts are members of the EAT-Lancet Commission, which was brought together by the Stockholm-based non-profit EAT, dedicated […] Read more
Online groceries change retail business
One after the other, grocers are going online. All of them, at some point over the last 12 months, have announced some sort of commitment to an e-commerce strategy. Costco launched its home delivery pilot in Ontario, while Maxi, Loblaws’ discount stores in Quebec, jumped on the virtual bandwagon with their Click and Collect program. […] Read more
