Fairtrade Canada CEO Julie Francoeur, the global food supply chain and Trying Stuff with Gin & Tonic

Welcome to the The Food Professor podcast episode 33  I’m Michael LeBlanc, and I’m Sylvain Charlebois!  Back on the mic together, so much going on - and in fact you and I were quoted in the same article yesterday - a first!  All about supply chain…we’ll get to that a bit later…we’re going bananas over our great guest, Julie Francouer from Fairtrade Canada, and of course our very popular segment, Trying Stuff!Julie talks about the evolution of fair trade, from its roots in the global coffee industry through to putting a variety of products on the shelves of engaged retailers and more and more customers every day.  We talk about the process behind fair trade, how it benefits the communities who adopt it, and how consumers are increasingly both recognizing the impact their purchases have around the world and demanding choice in the product they buy. Let’s jump right in…hot of the digital presses, new research from the Dalhousie Agri-Analytics lab!  More than 2 Canadians in 5 have changed their behaviour to save money at the grocery store compared to 2020…I see switching behaviour, substitutions, format changes, Albertans reducing their purchase of meat…what did you learn with your partners at Caddle?Let’s talk about the global supply chain issues and food…so what?  Isn’t much of what we consumer made in North America, a truck drive away?The upside of shrinkflation…less waste…will this be a call to action for consumers?QR codes - the ugly little app that could..everywhere now, but you have privacy concerns? ******If you liked what you heard you can subscribe on Apple iTunes , Spotify or your favourite podcast platform, please rate and review, and be sure and recommend to a friend or colleague in the grocery, foodservice,  or restaurant industry.    I’m Michael LeBlanc, producer and host of The Voice of Retail podcast and a bunch of other stuff, and I’m Sylvain Charlebois!
Have a safe week everyone!  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.