Assessing Trade Damage, Inflation Nation, Special Guest Xavier Poncin from SIAL and Trying Stuff with GoGo Quinoa

Welcome to the food professor podcast episode 42!In this episode, our Trying Stuff segment features GoGo Quinoa, in this episode lentil pasta and whaaaat…breakfast cereal!  A reminder to the brands out there,  just send us product and we try it, this isn’t paid or any any other way a promotional spot: We have a great interview with Xavier Poncin, CEO of the food innovation show SIAL North America's biggest food-innovation trade show, MONTREAL APRIL 20 TO 22, 2022 • PALAIS DES CONGRÈSSylvain and I assess food movement across the border - the short and long term damage done with border blockadesInflation nation!  Three decade high, 3.4%  - last time in 1991 we saw 5.1% food playing a significant role, as is the price of gasoline and shelter, with apparel on of the few moving backwardsWe talk ButterGate Redux: Sylvain's academic paper published tells all! About CEO of Expo Canada France, SIAL Canada organiser, I like to call myself as a self-made-man with lots of luck.After 2 years of international business school, I decided to quit studies preferring actions than theory, as I was showing on football field as the quarterback of the French national team, sports I played at the highest level in Europe for 17 years.I started in the trade show business in 94 in Blenheim/Reed subsidiary at the lower level as sale assistant, then left the company to Join EXPOSIUM (COMEXPOSIUM now) in October 1997 where I started as junior sales manager for an international show dedicated to the Print industry, Graphitec 98.I believe my work ethic and desire to succeed made me climb the ladder quickly and managed to become the international sales director in 2004 for one of the biggest international construction show in the world, Intermat.My desire to get an international experience abroad was the next goal I wanted to achieve.In 2008, the position of Executive Director of Expo Canada France in Montreal is offered for 3 years with 2 main goals, repositioning and redeveloping the SIAL brand in Canada.Those 2 goals are now well achieved, thanks to great teamwork and team commitment, with since 2010, a stunning 90% of growth. With this success, we made the decision with my iwfe to stay in Montreal in 2013 with our 2 kids, Valentine 15 and Thomas 10.In 2016, I have been named and rewarded CEO of the company by our stakeholders for our accomplishment.In january 2017, I have been honored « Chevalier de l’ordre du Mérite Agricole » by the French Minister of Agriculture, Stéphane Lefol, for what he said, my involvement and positive influence on the french international agrifood show brand, SIAL. About UsDr. Sylvain CharleboisDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor in food distribution and policy in the Faculties of Management and Agriculture at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Before joining Dalhousie, he was affiliated with the University of Guelph’s Arrell Food Institute, which he co-founded. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. Google Scholar ranks him as one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability.He has authored five books on global food systems, his most recent one published in 2017 by Wiley-Blackwell entitled “Food Safety, Risk Intelligence and Benchmarking”. He has also published over 500 peer-reviewed journal articles in several academic publications. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, including The Lancet, The Economist, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, BBC, NBC, ABC, Fox News, Foreign Affairs, the Globe & Mail, the National Post and the Toronto Star.Dr. Charlebois sits on a few company boards, and supports many organizations as a special advisor, including some publicly traded companies. Charlebois is also a member of the Scientific Council of the Business Scientific Institute, based in Luxemburg. Dr. Charlebois is a member of the Global Food Traceability Centre’s Advisory Board based in Washington DC, and a member of the National Scientific Committee of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in Ottawa.Michael LeBlanc  is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice.   He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career.  Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada’s top retail industry podcast,       The Voice of Retail, plus  Global E-Commerce Tech Talks  ,      The Food Professor  with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois and now in its second season, Conversations with CommerceNext!  You can learn more about Michael   here  or on     LinkedIn. Be sure and check out Michael's latest adventure for fun and influencer riches - Last Request Barbecue,  his YouTube BBQ cooking channel! About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Visiting Professor in Food Policy and Distribution at McGill University and a Professor in Food Distribution and Policy in the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University.Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. He is one of the world’s most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability with over 775 published peer-reviewed journal articles. Dr. Charlebois is also an editor for the prestigious Trends in Food Science Technology journal. He co-hosts The Food Professor podcast, discussing issues in the food, foodservice, grocery and restaurant industries and which is the most listened Canadian management podcast in Canada. Every year since 2012, he has published the now highly anticipated Canadian Food Price Report, which provides an overview of food price trends for the coming year. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, nationally as well as internationally. He has testified on several occasions before parliamentary committees on food policy-related issues as an expert witness. He has been asked to act as an advisor on food and agricultural policies in many Canadian provinces and other countries.With extensive experience collaborating with businesses, governments, and NGOs, Dr. Charlebois combines academic rigor with practical expertise, making him one of the most influential voices in the global agri-food landscape. His work continues to advance the understanding of food systems, fostering innovation and resilience in a rapidly evolving industry. In 2025, he received the prestigious Charles III medal recognizing his tremendous work in informing Canadians about food issues. Michael LeBlanc is a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and media entrepreneur. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions hosted senior retail executive on-stage in 1:1 interviews worldwide. Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including The Remarkable Retail Podcast, The Voice of Retail, The Food Professor, The FEED powered by Loblaw and the Global eCommerce Leaders podcast.  He has been recognized by the National Retail Federation (NRF) as a global Top Retail Voice for 2025 and 2025, and continues to be a ReThink Retail Top Retail Expert for the fifth year in a row.