NSB Logo Dr. Sylvain Charlebois Dr. Sylvain Charlebois

Dr. Sylvain Charlebois

Speaker

Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada

The Food Professor, Senior Director of Agri-food Analytics Lab

Charlebois is a Professor in Food Distribution and Policy at Dalhousie University in Halifax. Renowned for his work in agricultural and food policy, he has published over 500 peer-reviewed journal articles in several academic publications and has authored five books on global food systems; his most recent entitled “Food Safety, Risk Intelligence and Benchmarking.”

Keynote Speeches

Virtual Keynotes & Webinars
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The Future of Canadian Agriculture

Food security expert Dr. Sylvain Charlebois offers up some food for thought on the future of Canadian agriculture.

Charlebois delves into the Canadian Food Guide produced by Health Canada and details the changes to the guide and what it means for rural and urban consumers. He also tackles the current trends that are plant-based protein, the future of single-use plastic and, let’s not forget, the new opportunities edibles will offer.

Combatting Global Food Fraud to Defend Food Safety and Industry Integrity

Food fraud is a serious and growing problem that if left unchecked will undermine food safety systems worldwide. Gain insight into the scope of this issue and what is being done to stop it both domestically and internationally.

Walk away with a heightened understanding of the urgency of this issue so you can:
• Develop and incorporate food fraud detection into your food safety system
• Get your suppliers onside to ensure their products are fraud-free
• Encourage government to apply greater resources to this issue so Canada’s food safety system is not undermined

What’s Top of Mind in the Soon to Come Edibles Market?

In his session, Dr. Charlebois will look at how the amendments to the Cannabis Act will impact the food industry. Supported by data gathered through Dalhousie University consumers and industry surveys, you’ll get away with all relevant information: from food trends of cannabis-infused edibles to consumers readiness, opportunities, challenges and risk factors with US trade.

Navigating Inflation and Consumer Spending in the Agrifood Supply Chain

Join Sylvain Charlebois, renowned as the “food professor,” in this insightful presentation as he explores the various factors impacting inflation in the agrifood supply chain.

From production to distribution to consumption, he will discuss the key drivers of rising costs and their implications for the industry as a whole.

Furthermore, Charlebois will shed light on where consumer dollars go within the agrifood supply chain and how this impacts pricing and availability of food products.

Don’t miss this opportunity to gain valuable insights into one of the most critical components of our global economy.

Insights into the Evolving Food Industry

The pandemic has redefined Canada’s food purchasing habits in several ways as consumers emerge from a time of upheaval that is now into its third year. Rising geopolitical tensions, the war in Ukraine, inflation, and food insecurity have negatively impacted global food supply chains.

In this session, Dr. Sylvain Charlebois will present on global food security and how it impacts on the individual consumer as well as the economics around food production and the consumer.

Food Inflation: What to expect in 2024

We are pleased to invite you to this presentation with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois, Professor and Director, Agri-Food Analytics Lab, Dalhousie University in Halifax, to discuss his latest Canada’s Food Price Report.

As food inflation has made the headlines multiple times  and has forced the majority of Canadians to rethink the way they are grocery shopping, Dr. Charlebois will expand on what to expect in 2024.

How ChatGPT Could Impact Grocery Shopping

The Food Industry has been adopting Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) slowly compared to other sectors. Things are now changing fast and the whole food supply chain will be impacted.

This presentation will explore the opportunities this new technology offers and how it could change the way consumers approach their food purchases.

The Hunger Games: How Big Grocers are Winning at the Expense of Local Alternatives and the Future of Food Prices

Food inflation is a growing concern in our society, with prices for basic groceries increasing year after year. Large grocery chains dominate the market, but at what cost?

In this talk, we will explore the role that these mega-retailers play in driving up food prices, pushing out smaller, local alternatives, and contributing to food waste and environmental degradation. We will also examine the impact that this trend has on communities, particularly those who lack access to affordable, healthy food options in Nova Scotia. Finally, we will consider the future of food prices and the potential for local, sustainable alternatives to provide a viable solution to the issue of food inflation. This talk will challenge our assumptions about the food industry.

Our Quest for Protein Democracy

Governments, farmers, food processors, environmentalists and everyday consumers all have an opinion on an essential nutrient – protein.

As conversations grow around cellular agriculture and lab-grown meats, the feasibility of raising livestock sustainably, the rise of plant-based diets, and the tension between new technologies and traditional foods, it’s clear that the future of protein is a multi-stakeholder debate filled with difficult questions. Most importantly, protein affordability and price parity between different sources ought to be attain, to give consumers are true choice.

Sylvain Charlebois believes our collective discussion on proteins should not provide simple answers to nuanced questions, but rather, to allow consumers to better understand issues. Participants will have the opportunity to engage in a holistic dialogue that provides context, informs decisions, and explores new ways of thinking about protein democracy.

The Rise of the Conscious Carnivore? The Good, the Bad, and the Awfully Ugly

For years, voluntarily committing to a special diet was a tacit choice. It appears these choices are now allowing a growing collective to go on the offensive. Estimates from a recent wide-ranging Dalhousie University study suggest that Canada harbours more than 2.3 million vegetarians, and upwards of 850,000 vegans. The number of vegetarians in Canada is almost equivalent to the population of Montréal, one of Canada’s largest cities. So, what’s going on? The meat industry is certainly being challenged these days by more activists advocating against meat consumption. Some are suggesting we ban meat consumption altogether. Still, meat does have a future, but it’s getting complicated out there.

Audience reviews:

  • The speaking engagement was great! Dr. Charlebois shared some really interesting items and provocative discussion points that really resonated with our team. - Director, Product & Market Development (Canada), CHEP Canada
  • Sylvain was a fantastic speaker! His presentation was extremely well received and I would give him the highest rating. Happy to provide more detail if required, but the key takeaway is that he was great! - Vice President, Shipping Federation of Canada
  • Dr. Charlebois did an amazing job. He was extremely personable and mingled with some of our attendees prior to his presentation...He was outstanding in being able to capture the interest of all attendees in the audience regardless of their professional background and interests...he set a fantastic tone for the rest of our conference.

    - Executive Director, Alberta Irrigation Districts Association
  • Sylvain’s presentation was extremely well received. We continue to have request for his presentation which I am happy to share and we received many congratulations for the conference.

    - Director, Food & Nutrition Policy | Baking Association of Canada
  • Sylvain was an excellent contributor; he fills the room!

    - Executive Director | Horticulture Nova Scotia
  • Thank you very much for your energy and the great presentation (style & content!).

    - Founder & CEO | Bridge2Food
 

Speaker Biography

Dr. Sylvain Charlebois is 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, at the same university. He is as well the former Dean of the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University. Before joining Dalhousie, he was affiliated with the University of Guelph’s Arrell Food Institute, which he co-founded.

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. Since 2020, he co-hosts The Food Professor podcast, discussing issues in the food, foodservice, grocery and restaurant industries. The podcast is ranked in the top 10 most listened 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. He has authored seven books on global food systems, notably one titled Poutine Nation, exploring the journey of the iconic Canadian dish from it’s humble beginning to international success. He has also published over 750 peer-reviewed journal articles in several academic and professional publications. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, including The Economist, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, BBC, NBC, ABC, Fox News, Foreign Affairs, the Globe & Mail, the National Post and the Toronto Star.

Dr. Charlebois is an editor for the Trends in Food Science Technology journal. He works with many start-ups and supports many organizations as a special advisor, including some publicly traded companies. Charlebois is also a member of the Scientific Council of the Business Scientific Institute, based in Luxemburg. He conducts policy analysis, evaluation, and demonstration projects for government agencies and major foundations focusing on agricultural policies and community development both in Canada and in development settings. Dr. Charlebois is a member of the Global Food Traceability Centre’s Advisory Board based in Washington DC, and a member of the National Scientific Committee of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in Ottawa. 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, in the United States, Brazil, Austria, Italy, France, Belgium, China, Great Britain, Finland and the Netherlands.