Many are talking about vaccine nationalism these days, with concerns that some nations are involved in a race to access as many vaccines as possible. Disappointing of course, but highly predictable. Vaccines are seen by the entire western world as our collective portal towards some sort of normalcy. The World Health Organization has rightly registered
Comment: Food safety nationalism
China appears to be using the pandemic as a tool to make its people afraid of food imports
Comment: Can we ‘free the beer,’ online?
Many alcohol products that have won international acclaim, ironically, can't be sold to most Canadians
Interprovincial alcohol distribution in Canada has always been a nightmare. In fact, for our wineries, breweries, and spirit makers, selling alcohol to Americans is easier than selling to consumers outside their own province. Many Canadian alcoholic products like wines, beers, and spirits that have won international prestigious awards cannot be sold to most Canadians. It
Comment: Plant based still a thing despite COVID-19
Sales are still growing quickly in this relatively new market space
Think plant protein is just a passing fad? Think again. People are buying. Despite the pandemic and the chaos surrounding containment and vaccination rules, consumers are quietly enjoying the products made from plant proteins and milk alternatives. According to recent data offered by Nielsen, since the start of 2020 sales of vegetable protein products have
Comment: Underpaid ‘heroes’
As grocery companies pay executives millions in bonuses their lowest-paid staff are at high risk
Almost everyone agrees that grocery store workers should earn better wages, especially during a pandemic. In Canada, their hourly rate hovers around $15 an hour. New hires get about $13 an hour, while the highest paid earn almost $50,000 annually, or about $25 an hour. In a high-volume, low-margin world, salaries are what they are,
Comment: The top 10 food stories of 2020
It was an action-packed 12 months for the agriculture and food sector
The year 2020 was as unusual as they get, with no shortage of stories. Some flew under the radar because of the pandemic, but this list is based on how some food-related stories will probably have long-term implications, whether they were related to COVID-19 or not. At number 10, the apparent end of Tim Hortons’
Comment: Households are getting sandwiched
Many Canadians are stuck between rising food prices and stagnant-at-best wages
Canada’s Food Price Report 2021 was released recently and brought some disconcerting news to Canadians. We could see food prices go up by as much as five per cent in 2021, the highest increase ever predicted by the authors, a group of 24 scholars from four different universities. For a family of four, the food bill could go
Comment: Santa Claus loves milk, especially Canadian milk
Trade compensation given quickly with few strings attached will be an expensive and wasteful exit strategy
In haste, Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau chose a Saturday, hours before a long-awaited economic update, to offer more non-COVID-related compensations to supply-managed farmers. Compensations were expected, but how it was done was a little strange. Few in the industry knew what was going on before the announcement. When giving money away, governments would want as much
Comment: Battle of the middle mile
Automating food delivery between distribution hubs and stores a glimpse of the future
Loblaw is partnering with Gatik, an autonomous vehicle provider from the United States, to launch the first autonomous food delivery fleet. This is a solution for the “middle mile,” which will assure links between distribution centres and stores. Consumers will not see autonomous vehicles driving up to their homes yet, but that day will surely
Comment: Lockdowns – The Sequel
At least this time around we’ll all have the benefit of experience
Many markets in Canada will likely go through a second lockdown, including the Atlantic bubble. With potentially 60,000 cases a day within weeks, it seems inevitable. The virus knows no borders, and the virus is now spreading like a wildfire. Toronto and Peel region are now experiencing a second lockdown in nine months. As news
Comment: Ditching Beyond Meat
McDonald’s is divorcing itself from the plant-based food giant’s anti-meat rhetoric
One of the most bizarre food stories of the year, other than the panic buying we witnessed in the spring in the western world, is the quasi-divorce between McDonald’s and Beyond Meat. While McDonald’s recently announced its new McPlant products to be rolled out in 2021, Beyond Meat, that was working with the fast-food chain
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
