Pandemic bill poses food security threat Bill C-293, the Pandemic Prevention and Preparedness Act, passed third reading in the House of Commons on June 5. The Senate has passed first reading of the bill and second reading is in now in debate. The Canadian Federation of Agriculture addressed the controversy of the legislation in response […] Read more
Tag Archives Sylvain Charlebois
Letters to the editor – November 14, 2024
Food sentiment report shows inflation pressure
Survey finds that Canadians continue to seek cheaper options in the grocery store as they grapple with food inflation
Glacier FarmMedia – The rate of inflation has slowed in Canada, but a report from a major food research institution shows prices have a major effect on what goes into consumers’ grocery carts. The Canadian Food Sentiment Index, released Oct. 10 by Dalhousie University’s Agri-Food Analytics Lab, said Canadians have changed shopping habits significantly in […] Read more
Dairy dumps on waste report
REGINA — Critics say a study claiming Canadian dairy producers waste billion of litres of milk each year is based on incorrect assumptions. The study co-authored by Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University’s Agri-Food Analytics Lab, Benjamin Goldstein from the University of Michigan and Thomas Elliot from Aalborg University in Denmark said Canadian producers wasted between […] Read more
Dairy sector raises questions about milk dumping report
REGINA — The Canadian dairy sector has questions about a new report that says milk producers are wasting an extraordinary amount of milk and losing billions of dollars when they dump surplus production. The study published in Ecological Economics said 6.8 billion litres has been discarded since 2012. That could have supplied the annual dairy […] 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
Report finds 6.8 billion litres of milk discarded since 2012
Study says milk dumping should be illegal and calls for more transparency on how much surplus is produced and wasted
REGINA — Canadian milk producers are wasting an extraordinary amount of milk and losing billions of dollars when they dump surplus production, a new study has found. The study published in Ecological Economics said 6.8 billion litres has been discarded since 2012. That could have supplied the annual dairy intake for 4.2 million Canadians, it […] Read more
Pandemic response bill worries livestock groups
Industry says Bill C-293 contains ill-defined terms and heavy-handed language that unfairly targets animal agriculture
Glacier FarmMedia – A federal bill that purports to protect Canada from the next pandemic is drawing fire from the agriculture sector. In a recent editorial titled “Is Bill C-293 Canada’s ‘Vegan Act?’” Sylvain Charlebois, director of Dalhousie University’s Agri-Food Analytics Lab, said the bill “represents an unprecedented governmental intrusion into personal dietary choices and […] 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
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
Public reaction muted to recent plant-based milk recall
Consumers haven’t turned away from products despite a listeria outbreak that caused three deaths and 20 hospitalizations
WINNIPEG — Arlee Jones of Winnipeg describes her household as a “dairy family,” but she does use almond milk and adds it to coffee because she likes the flavour. After learning of this summer’s recall of certain brands of plant-based milk due to cases of listeriosis, the mother of two girls, aged 10 and 7, […] Read more
