The latest episode of The Food Professor Podcast delivers a timely and insightful discussion on the state of Canadian agriculture, the impact of Trump's tariffs, which Canadian politicians had the best response to, and what it means for the food industry. Hosts Michael LeBlanc and Sylvain Charlebois break down new trade restrictions' economic and political ripple effects, discussing the challenges of retaliatory tariffs, fluctuating commodity prices, and supply chain disruptions.
Our guest, John Pigott, CEO of Morrison Lamothe and a leader in the food industry for over three decades brings his deep expertise to the conversation. John reflects on his journey in the Canadian food sector, sharing valuable lessons on innovation, leadership, and navigating market shifts. From growing his family's bakery business into a major supplier of frozen foods and private-label products to his recent recognition as a Golden Pencil Award winner, John discusses the evolution of the industry and the importance of strategic thinking in times of crisis.
One key theme of the discussion is the role of private-label brands in shaping the future of grocery retail. John highlights how Canadian food manufacturers have thrived by partnering with retailers to develop high-quality private-label products, offering a competitive advantage against national brands. He emphasizes that while tariffs pose a significant challenge, they also present an opportunity for Canadian businesses to rethink their strategies and expand into new global markets beyond the U.S.
The conversation also explores the broader geopolitical landscape, including China's response to U.S. tariffs, the increasing presence of Mexican food products in Canada, and the potential for Canada to strengthen its agricultural exports to emerging markets. John argues that Canada's food sector has unique advantages—vast farmland, fresh water, and strong production capabilities—that position it as a global leader in food security.
In the episode, John shares his philosophy on leadership, mentorship, and the importance of "returning" knowledge to the next generation. Now, in the "third act" of his career, he is focused on mentoring young entrepreneurs and helping them navigate the challenges of growing a business in today's uncertain economic climate.
From trade tensions to leadership wisdom, this episode is packed with critical insights for food industry professionals, retailers, and consumers. Tune in to hear how Canada can adapt, innovate, and turn adversity into opportunity.
The Food Professor #podcast is presented by Caddle.
About Us
Dr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor in food distribution and policy in the Faculties of Management and Agriculture at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located 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. Google Scholar ranks him as one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability.
He has authored five books on global food systems, his most recent one published in 2017 by Wiley-Blackwell entitled “Food Safety, Risk Intelligence and Benchmarking”. He has also published over 500 peer-reviewed journal articles in several academic publications. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, including The Lancet, 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 sits on a few company boards, 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. 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.
Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and now, media entrepreneur. He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career.
Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels, most recently on the main stage in Toronto at Retail Council of Canada’s Retail Marketing conference with leaders from Walmart & Google. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, CanWest Media, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.
Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in America, Remarkable Retail with his partner, Dallas-based best-selling author Steve Dennis; Canada's top retail industry podcast The Voice of Retail and Canada's top food industry and one of the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University in Halifax.
Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail experts for the fourth year in a row, Thinkers 360 has named him on of the Top 50 global thought leaders in retail, RTIH has named him a top 100 global though leader in retail technology and Coresight Research has named Michael a Retail AI Influencer. If you are a BBQ fan, you can tune into Michael’s cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.
Michael is available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state and future of the retail industry in North America and around the world.
