Canada depends on imports for fruits and vegetables. We need to think differently about how we feed ourselves during cold months
California is on fire. Although most of the fire-affected territory has nothing to do with agriculture, the smoke is so intense that it could damage many crops. And as fall approaches, the California fires could affect Canada’s food supply for the coming months. Like the labour issues affecting Canadian farmers this summer, this is certainly…
But the federal government and most provinces have failed to help the hospitality sector. Only New Brunswick is making a difference
The best way to get an economy going again is to get to Canadians’ wallets by way of their stomachs. But it’s a long road. Up to 25 per cent of restaurants in Canada have closed for the season and perhaps for good. The Canadian Chamber of Commerce expects 60 per cent of restaurants to…
Canadians are throwing away more food, in part because we’re cooking more at home but also out of irrational fear
Food waste creates an invisible bill you must pay every day. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the average Canadian household wasted a little more than two kg in food a week. But since March, our lives have changed and most Canadians have spent more time at home. So are Canadians generating more food waste at home?…
Food manufacturing in Canada is dying a slow death. The sector has lost 12 jobs a day every day since 2012. This won’t help
Consumers got a glimpse of how food supply chains work – or don’t – at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now Walmart is giving them a chilling new perspective. The sight of empty shelves in grocery stores is certainly a strong indicator at the retail level that something is amiss upstream. Reasons at the…
From online grocery shopping to home delivery to cooking with fresh ingredients to higher prices to fewer choices in stores
More than five months into the pandemic, we can start to see how life will look on the other side. At the grocery store, some changes will disappear while others will stay with us for the foreseeable future. Food is getting more expensive everywhere, including Canada. We expect prices to increase by four per cent.…
Tipping promotes age, race and gender bias, and make servers more vulnerable to sexual harassment from customers
In North America, the tipping culture has always been a source of pride, giving customers the last word when human interaction is involved. Good service deserves a good tip, while an unsatisfactory experience results in no reward for the server. In some European and Asian countries, the tip is included in the price at the…
Grocery retailers must come to terms with serving a shifting population. And restaurants face learning to be more flexible
Canadians seem to want to flee urban centres. The food industry will need to keep a close eye on the trend. The real estate market is overheating in regions outside of major cities like Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and Halifax. Recent real estate reports suggest sales are up 20 per cent in many rural markets and…
Witnesses testifying before parliamentary committees are often used as political puppets to support underlying agendas
Top Canadian grocers testified before a parliamentary standing committee last week to explain why all COVID-19 incentive programs in their operations were cancelled within hours. Most grocery store and distribution centre employees were paid extra at the beginning of the pandemic, only to see wages go back to pre-COVID levels now. CEOs who testified were…
We’re now $343 billion poorer as a nation because of COVID-19. As a result, our national debt will reach unprecedented levels. While some Canadians will dispute how the government is supporting Canadians and businesses during the pandemic, many will argue it didn’t have of much choice. There’s certainly some truth to that. The numbers are…
New eating and shopping habits likely here to stay as pandemic measures ease, U of A food economist predicts
Eating at home more and sticking with online delivery or takeout are habits likely to persist even as pandemic measures ease, according to one expert. “The ‘new normal’ is unlikely to be the same for retail and food service as life was in January of 2020,” when the first case of COVID-19 was reported in…
California is on fire. Although most of the fire-affected territory has nothing to do with agriculture, the smoke is so intense that it could damage many crops. And as fall approaches, the California fires could affect Canada’s food supply for the coming months. Like the labour issues affecting Canadian farmers this summer, this is certainly…
