Pascal Thériault

Pascal Thériault warns consumers to be on the lookout for misleading Canadian labels

valerie.mcleod@mcgill.ca — Mon, 11 Aug 2025 15:54:28 +0000

Canned soup giant Campbell's has come under fire for engaging in "maple washing" — a marketing tactic where foreign-made products are falsely associated with Canada through the use of maple leaves or vague labels like “Designed in Canada.” This misleading practice gives consumers the impression that products are Canadian when they are not.

Ghana's Cocoa Price Surge: A Bitter Truth for Chocolate Lovers

valerie.mcleod@mcgill.ca — Tue, 12 Aug 2025 19:26:53 +0000

Last week, La Presse reporters spoke to agronomist and economist Pascal Thériault about a recent price surge of 62.58% for Ghanaian cocoa, a move aimed at supporting its struggling farmers. This significant price hike is expected to affect not only other cocoa-producing countries but also global chocolate manufacturers and consumers.

Quebec wine sales surge after U.S alcohol boycott—comments from Pascal Thériault

charly.blais@mcgill.ca — Mon, 04 Aug 2025 17:41:55 +0000

Quebec wine sales have gone up since the removal of American alcohol products from the shelves of the SAQ last March and local producers are working hard to fill demand.

Agronomist and economist Pascal Thériault, Director of 91��Ƶ's Farm Management and Technology Program, told CTV News that producers shouldn’t bank on this boycott for long.

The first fully automated greenhouse in Canada—comments from Pascal Thériault

charly.blais@mcgill.ca — Thu, 17 Jul 2025 15:52:15 +0000

In Ontario, a fully automated greenhouse allows lettuce to be grown and harvested with virtually no human intervention—a first in Canada.

Haven Greens had to invest $50 million to make it happen. But the result is striking: the company can operate with just five employees in the greenhouse, whereas it would have required more than 100 pickers using the traditional method.

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 91��Ƶ, 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 91��Ƶ, 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 91��Ƶ'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.

91��Ƶ 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.