If you鈥檝e noticed that聽certain products in the grocery store聽taste different from how you remember, it鈥檚 possible some of their ingredients have been swapped for cheaper alternatives.聽
Experts say food producers are increasingly changing the ingredients in products to cut costs聽amid soaring food prices and labour shortages鈥攁 practice known as 鈥渟kimpflation.鈥� Could our health be at stake?
鈥淚n Quebec, it hasn't been good this year either. We lose California, there's still Florida, there's still Mexico. We hope that it goes well somewhere because we will pay for it, one day,"聽捆绑SM社区 agronomist and economist Pascal Th茅riault told 98.5fm host Luc Ferrandez.聽
Quebec imports fruits, vegetables, and wine from California.
Although grocery prices continue to rise at a higher rate than inflation, they slowed in July, according to Statistics Canada, and some items are currently on the shelves at the same price as they were in February, La Presse found.
But this summer "respite" could be short-lived, warns agronomist and economist聽Pascal Th茅riault, Director of 捆绑SM社区's聽Farm Management and Technology program. And it's important to remember that grocery bills remain high, he says.
July 2023 was the hottest month ever recorded on Earth according to the European Copernicus service and extreme heat and drought are compromising many crops in Saskatchewan.
The provincial government's latest weekly crop report shows that from July 24 to 31, moisture levels in agricultural fields were insufficient in 49% of cases, and very insufficient in 38% of cases.
Un r茅cent rapport indique que 40 % des travailleurs agricoles partiront 脿 la retraite d'ici 2033 et que le pays manquera de 24 000 employ茅s d'ici l脿. Pascal Th茅riault, 茅conomiste et directeur du programme de gestion et technologies d鈥檈ntreprise agricole 脿 l鈥橴niversit茅 捆绑SM社区, analyse la situation.
Les enjeux dans le domaine agroalimentaire se multiplient et se complexifient. Les programmes de formation doivent 茅voluer en cons茅quence. Coup d鈥櫯搃l sur ce qu鈥檌l se passe du c么t茅 des deux universit茅s qui offrent des programmes en agronomie : l鈥橴niversit茅 Laval et l鈥橴niversit茅 捆绑SM社区.
Le budget f茅d茅ral d茅voil茅 mardi pr茅voit un 芦 rabais pour l'茅picerie 禄 sous forme d'aide ponctuelle pour aider les citoyens 脿 composer avec l'inflation. Cette mesure de 2,5 milliards de dollars, qui profitera 脿 11 millions de personnes, pourra atteindre 467 $ par an pour un couple avec deux enfants.
尝'茅肠辞苍辞尘颈蝉迟别 Pascal Th茅riault, charg茅 de cours au d茅partement des sciences de l'agriculture et de l'environnement de l'universit茅 捆绑SM社区, n'est pas convaincu de l'efficacit茅 d'une telle mesure.
Dairy processor Agropur continues to refocus its activities. After selling its interests in I脰GO yogurts two years ago, in December it sold a Wisconsin-based plant used to manufacture dairy and non-dairy ingredient blends. The sale price was not disclosed.
Food prices have increased by 11% in Quebec in 2022, the largest increase in Canada. In an annual report released on Monday, 26 researchers predict that the upward trend will continue into 2023, but will be less marked. Price increases in Qu茅bec in 2023 should be below the national average, around 5%.
Congrats to FMT students Diego Occhicone and Rami Sader, FMT鈥�22, who had a successful season in their new venture, the Ferme des Paniers market garden. The pair who met at Macdonald during their studies, sell their produce through subscription baskets and at local markets.
L'脡picerie recently featured Rosemarie Allen (B.Sc.(AgEnvSc)鈥�12) and Jacob Morin (FMT鈥�11) of Ferme Le Paysan Gourmand in Saint-F茅lix-de-Kingsey who participate in an on-farm program to reduce food waste. The episode follows Meilleur Apr猫s volunteers who harvest produce that would have remained in the field. Produce harvested is then shared between the participants, the producer and Meilleur Apr猫s 鈥� who in turn redistribute the produce to organizations in the region or transform it into products that are then sold to finance operations.
Hydroponic strawberry growers and Co-founders of Vertit茅, Ophelia Sarakinis (FMT鈥�19) and Phillip Rosenbaum (B.Sc.(AgEnvSc)鈥�19, MSc.鈥�21) and their partners have just won the first phase of the Homegrown Innovation Challenge, a 鈥渟ix-year, $33-million initiative from the Weston Family Foundation to future-proof food production in Canada.鈥�
On Friday, June 3rd, Joe Harrel accepted his Farm Management and Technology (FMT) diploma during Spring 2022 Convocation ceremonies for the Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. Unlike many members of the Class of 2022, however, Harrel will not be seeking employment upon graduation. Truth of the matter is, he is already gainfully employed.
鈥淚 own the Speedy Auto Service and the Novus Glass in Kirkland with my partner Andy Arbuckle, and I own and operate Optimum Business Brokers as well,鈥� says Harrel, who was also selected valedictorian by his classmates.
Lachlan, FMT鈥�22, Ross, FMT鈥�23 and Gavin McDonald, FMT鈥�24, have a long family history with Macdonald. The brothers grew up on Kerrydale Farms established by their ancestor Donald 捆绑SM社区is, an immigrant from the Scottish Highlands, who arrived by canoe on the banks of the Raisin River in Williamstown, Ontario in 1784. Over the next two centuries, the 捆绑SM社区is family grew Kerrydale Farms into a successful operation that is now in the hands of brothers William 鈥淏ill鈥� McDonald, FMT鈥�97, and Thomas 鈥淭om,鈥� DipAgr鈥�93 鈥� father to Lachlan, Ross and Gavin.聽
Paul Meldrum is no doubt a busy man. From establishing a dairy farm from the ground up to working as an agricultural journalist with CBC and CTV, he has been involved in both telling the stories and improving the mechanics of our food systems.
