External

Bridging worlds as the ice recedes

admin — Thu, 17 Jul 2025 15:55:31 +0000

��Ǿ�Ʒ�� PhD candidate Alexandra Langwieder works with James Bay Indigenous communities to better understand polar bears

WELL-E: Rethinking Cow Care with AI

admin — Wed, 22 Oct 2025 16:25:23 +0000

In Canada, researchers from ��Ǿ�Ʒ��’s WELL-E Chair are using artificial intelligence to improve the welfare of dairy cows. At a farm in Montreal, high-definition cameras track cows’ movements, ear positions, and walking patterns to gather behavioral data. These subtle signals help assess the animals’ physical and mental health.

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

admin — Thu, 22 May 2025 19:46:52 +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

admin — 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 ��Ǿ�Ʒ��, told CBC.

Should we fear cadmium? Comments from Mathieu Leduc

admin — Mon, 30 Jun 2025 20:50:40 +0000

French doctors are raising the alarm about rising exposure to cadmium, a toxic heavy metal found in phosphate fertilizers. Cadmium is a known carcinogen linked to kidney damage, bone disease, and other long-term health issues, even at low doses. French doctors are urging France's government to tighten fertilizer regulations to reduce this public health risk.

Will the new Canadian Grocery Code of Conduct work?

admin — 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.

How artificial food dyes are regulated in Canada

admin — Wed, 30 Apr 2025 16:56:19 +0000

Recently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced plans to phase out some food dyes, most of which remain allowed in Canada. CBC News spoke to experts about the safety of these dyes and how they are regulated in Canada.

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

admin — 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 ��Ǿ�Ʒ��'s Farm Management and Technology Program, told CTV News that producers shouldn’t bank on this boycott for long.

Cracking the Code of Pre-Harvest Sprouting

admin — Wed, 24 Sep 2025 17:44:13 +0000

Pre-harvest sprouting (PHS) is a major global issue affecting cereal crops like wheat and barley. It occurs when grains begin to germinate on the plant before harvest due to environmental triggers like moisture and humidity, combined with genetic factors such as low seed dormancy. This premature sprouting degrades starch, reducing grain quality and leading to significant economic losses—estimated at $1 billion globally, and $100 million annually in Canada.

What are those fluffy seeds floating in the air? David Wees explains

admin — Thu, 17 Jul 2025 15:12:25 +0000

If you've been noticing white fluff floating around Montreal lately, you're not the only one. Those are seeds from the Eastern Cottonwood tree and it's the season that they're spreading through the air.

CBC News spoke to David Wees, Faculty Lecturer and Assistant Director of the Farm Management and Technology Program at ��Ǿ�Ʒ��, to find out more.

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

admin — Tue, 27 May 2025 19:59:37 +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.

��Ǿ�Ʒ�� Joins Ghanaian Partners to Empower Youth and Transform Agrifood Systems

admin — Thu, 17 Jul 2025 15:18:38 +0000

As part of the Nkabom Collaborative supported by the Mastercard Foundation, ��Ǿ�Ʒ�� has joined forces with Ghanaian institutions in a bold initiative to foster youth leadership and transform the agrifood ecosystem in Ghana and beyond.

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

admin — 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.

Local goods shop is filling the grocery gap in Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue—comments from Prof. Daiva Nielsen

admin — Thu, 17 Jul 2025 15:35:43 +0000

Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Que., residents have a new spot to do their groceries. After the suburb's only grocery store closed for the second time, B Factory, a locally owned beeswax products shop that had been on the verge of bankruptcy, expanded its space to include a small grocery section called Mon Marché Local.

Rising mercury levels in Arctic wildlife—Prof. Nil Basu comments on new Aarhus University study

admin — Mon, 16 Jun 2025 20:11:42 +0000

A new study, led by researchers at Aarhus University in Denmark, suggests that levels of mercury in Arctic wildlife could continue to rise significantly even as countries curb their emissions. The researchers' analysis indicates that ocean currents are distributing large, century-old stores of mercury through marine ecosystems in the Arctic.

Large predators end up ingesting the most mercury through their diet of contaminated prey. This poses a serious problem for communities that hunt marine mammals with high concentrations of mercury, like seals.