By Sylvain Charlebois (AIMS Senior Fellow) Are you on the ketogenic diet? Apparently, many people are, or have tried it in the last year or so. It is possibly the most popular dietary trend in North America right now. Over the last 12 months, the word “keto” was the most googled food-related topic in the [...]
By Sylvain Charlebois (AIMS Senior Fellow) Bean-less coffee is a thing now and could hit the market as early as next year. Our summer was marked by key announcements from major food chains who have decided to switch to plant-based alternatives. Meat, particularly beef, was the target of companies like Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods, [...]
By Sylvain Charlebois (AIMS Senior Fellow) For many of us, the kitchen has been a sacred place in our home. In fact, it has been referred to as the heart of the home. But it seems kitchens are losing their lustre. An increasing number of condos and apartments are being sold and rented without a [...]
By Sylvain Charlebois (AIMS Senior Fellow) According to a recent survey by Payments Canada, 42 per cent of consumers use cash fewer than four times a month when purchasing food. A year ago, it was only 20 per cent. Our food transactions are becoming more digitalized and the conversion rate away from using cash is [...]
By Sylvain Charlebois (AIMS Senior Fellow) Beyond Meat lost almost $10 million in its second quarter, but it beat expectations on revenues. Regardless, Beyond Meat is now worth $14 billion U.S. That’s right, $14 billion U.S., and is Wall Street’s best-performing IPO so far this year. Its stock price has increased by more than 800%. [...]
By Sylvain Charlebois (AIMS Senior Fellow) Vegan groups are using billboards these days in the Atlantic region to denounce dairy farming practices, and telling consumers that dairy is scary. Some of these ads show a picture of a young calf, saying that someone “took it’s mom, it’s milk, then it’s life.” All this is to [...]
By Sylvain Charlebois (AIMS Senior Fellow) The user rate for food delivery apps has reach a record level in May 2019. A recent survey conducted byAngus Reid Global, in partnership with the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University, suggests that 29% of all Canadians have used a food delivery app at least once. Data was [...]
By Sylvain Charlebois (AIMS Senior Fellow) Food industries need to be regulated. But the delicate balance between protecting the public and supporting industrial growth might have reached a tipping point in Canada. In the Western world, governments successfully play the anti-business card by implementing regulations so consumers believe someone is looking out for them. But [...]
By Sylvain Charlebois (AIMS Senior Fellow) The carbon tax is now a reality for all Canadians — and that means food prices will be impacted. The federal carbon pricing scheme took effect in Ontario, New Brunswick, Saskatchewan and Manitoba on April 1. These provinces had previously chosen not to comply with the new federal law [...]
By Sylvain Charlebois (AIMS Senior Fellow) Most people expected an electoral budget, and that is exactly what Canadians got. For the agrifood sector, the budget was underwhelming at best, and provided little hope for the near future. Let’s start with supply management. It was interesting to see that the Liberals opted to do exactly what [...]