Pascal Thériault

Will the new Canadian Grocery Code of Conduct work?

charly.blais@mcgill.ca — Mon, 26 May 2025 20:44:00 +0000

Canada's grocery sector code of conduct will finally come into effect on June 1, after years of discussion.

The voluntary grocery code, which all major retailers have agreed to sign on to, aims to support smaller retailers by providing guidelines for fair negotiations with suppliers.

IGA and Metro slow to comply with new price display law—comments from Pascal Thériault

charly.blais@mcgill.ca — Tue, 27 May 2025 19:59:36 +0000

In the IGA and Metro grocery stores visited this week by Le Journal de Montréal, the price per pound of discounted products appeared on signage, but the regular price per pound was still not indicated, contrary to a new regulation that came into effect on May 7 which requires that grocers to "indicate a single unit of measurement for all goods of the same type." This rule aims to allow consumers to easily compare prices.

Quebec's Exceldor to be sold to Ontario company Sofina Foods—Pascal Thériault comments

charly.blais@mcgill.ca — Thu, 22 May 2025 19:46:51 +0000

The Quebec cooperative Exceldor, known for its chicken breasts, wings, and nuggets, has taken steps to sell its assets to the Ontario company Aliments Sofina.

For the sale to be completed, it must be approved by two-thirds of the cooperative's members and two-thirds of the investment shareholders, as well as the Canadian Competition Bureau.

Rising demand at food banks indicative of Canada's affordability crisis

charly.blais@mcgill.ca — Wed, 30 Apr 2025 16:35:47 +0000

Food banks across Canada set a new record for demand in 2024, with more than two million monthly visits—nearly double the rate seen five years prior, reports CBC News.

One reason for the spike in demand is the rising cost of food.

"What we're encountering right now is a problem where food inflation is bigger than general inflation," economist and agronomist Pascal Thériault, Senior Faculty Lecturer at 51�Թ��, told CBC.

Consumers are increasingly using boycotts, but do they actually work?

charly.blais@mcgill.ca — Tue, 22 Apr 2025 19:39:27 +0000

While there are plenty of examples to the contrary, the general academic consensus is that boycotts don’t work for a sustained period, as consumers eventually disengage and reprioritize brand loyalties or price. According to a recent poll, however, the Globe and Mail reports that the Buy Canadian movement shows no signs of slowing down.

Are you paying more than before to buy Canadian? Experts say it's complicated

charly.blais@mcgill.ca — Wed, 16 Apr 2025 17:20:05 +0000

Some items from quintessentially Canadian brands have jumped in price at a Loblaws in Toronto, CBC News reports.

According to CBC's analysis of grocery products labelled as Canadian, while most products remained the same price and about two per cent decreased in price, the regular price of hundreds of products have increased since governments put out the call to buy food made in Canada. Some are from iconic Canadian brands, including Tim Hortons, St-Hubert, Swiss Chalet, and Chapman's.

Dairy tariffs—Pascal Thériault weighs in

charly.blais@mcgill.ca — Wed, 09 Apr 2025 18:39:10 +0000

US President Donald Trump says Canada has been imposing sky-high tariffs on imported American dairy products. Agronomist and economist Pascal Thériault, Director of the Farm Management and Technology Program at McGill, spoke to CBC and Global News to give key context on this issue in their reporting:

Sales of American products are falling—comments from Pascal Thériault

charly.blais@mcgill.ca — Wed, 26 Mar 2025 19:57:24 +0000

Quebec supermarket chains say boycotts of American products are having a direct impact on US food sales, TVA reports.

Grocery stores have put new measures in place to indicate the origin of their products. Loblaw recently announced they will be adding a logo to identify products subject to customs tariffs.

Pascal Thériault on U.S. tariffs impact on Canada's dairy industry

charly.blais@mcgill.ca — Wed, 19 Mar 2025 17:24:32 +0000

In a recent article, CBC News spoke to several experts who say U.S. tariffs on Canadian dairy products would have little effect on Canada's protectionist system.

The director of 51�Թ��'s Farm Management and Technology Program agrees that these tariffs would have a "somewhat limited" impact on industry.

Loblaw to identify U.S. products affected by tariffs in its grocery stores—Pascal Thériault comments

charly.blais@mcgill.ca — Wed, 19 Mar 2025 15:59:42 +0000

Canadian grocery giant Loblaw is preparing to add labels to U.S. products affected by tariffs, allowing consumers to distinguish them from other products on shelves and understand why they cost more.

51�Թ�� agronomist and economist Pascal Thériault told Radio-Canada that this measure will support consumers in their choices.

Rendering: The devil is in the details

charly.blais@mcgill.ca — Tue, 18 Mar 2025 18:06:50 +0000

A Sanimax animal rendering plant in Montreal's east end has drawn complaints from residents for years, largely centering on odors coming from the facility. Recently, an agreement reached between the company and the City of Montreal to address the issue by retrofitting the factory seems to have fallen apart.

Pascal Thériault: For American farmers, it is impossible to do without Canadian potash

charly.blais@mcgill.ca — Tue, 11 Mar 2025 19:08:28 +0000

As the threat of impending tariffs and counter-tariffs loom, U.S. agricultural producers have very few options to substitute Canadian potash, an essential ingredient in fertilizer, 51�Թ��agronomist and economist Pascal Thériault told TVA Nouvelles.

Tariff trouble prompts Montrealers to prepare for price hikes—comments from Pascal Thériault

charly.blais@mcgill.ca — Wed, 05 Mar 2025 20:08:54 +0000

Food including meat, vegetables, and fruits are on the long list of products from the U.S. subject to Canada’s 25% counter-tariffs.

It might take a few weeks, but most retailers will pass the cost on to Quebecers, 51�Թ�� agricultural economist Pascal Thériault, Farm Management and Technology Program Director, told CTV News.

Addressing Canada's agricultural labour shortage—column by Pascal Thériault

charly.blais@mcgill.ca — Wed, 26 Feb 2025 20:47:02 +0000

In 2019, RBC released an alarming report revealing a labour shortage in Canada's agricultural sector that could reach 123,000 vacant positions, a slowdown in exports compared to our competitors, a growing proportion of university and college graduates compared to those with a secondary education or less, a shortfall in GDP, and more.

Coffee, stuck between inflation and shrinkflation—comments from Pascal Thériault

charly.blais@mcgill.ca — Wed, 05 Mar 2025 19:06:31 +0000

Coffee is suffering the consequences of global warming, condemning consumers of the popular drink to rising prices and shrinking formats, reports Radio-Canada.