Jo-Ann McArthur, President of Nourish Food Marketing discusses her 2021 Food Trend Report plus we explore domestic food manufacturing and the resiliant food supply chain

Let's talk about the food supply now that we're in the second wave - some good news with more beer like Stella and Corona being made in London, and ketchup being made in Quebec (not yet tho with Canadian tomatoes!).  What is your level of concern or optimism that the supply chain will continue to hold fast for the rest of the COVID era?Speaking of COVID, hate to burst your bubble but looks like you have an outbreak in Halifax - catch us up  - what is going on, and what if any restrictions are now facing restaurants, bars and grocery storesWanted to ask you what is gong on in Nova Scotia and online food ordering - highest in the nation at 20% - is that all those people keeping safe in their 14 quarantine?Special Guest: Jo-Ann McArthur, Nourish Marketing and Nourish 2021 Food Trend ReportLast couple of questions, thought we'd end on a high note - we haven't talked weed lately - lots of deals happening High Tide buys Meta, Fire & Flower buys Friendly Stranger....seems like the race for space-ed out has been replaced by a race for scaleYou must be excited and or exhausted - your annual Canada's Food Price Report 2021, December 8!  Can you give our loyal listeners a sneak peak, first how on earth in a year like this you adjust the model to forecast, and then any hints on what we'll be hearing in December? 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.