Skyrocketing Coffee, U.S. Port Strikes & Canada, A Grocery Legend Retires, special guest Marie-Noëlle Cano, President of CANO Intelligence Collective Inc.

Welcome to The Food Professor Podcast, presented by Caddle! In this episode, recorded live at SIAL in Montreal, we’re thrilled to have Marie-Noëlle Cano, Founder of Canoe Intelligence Collective, as our special guest. Marie-Noel shares valuable insights for food entrepreneurs and executives, offering lessons to inspire and inform your business strategies.

We also discuss the latest news impacting the food sector. Coffee prices are on the rise again—what’s driving the increase, and is this the moment for robusta to take center stage over arabica? Stay tuned for more as we gear up for the Coffee Association of Canada’s conference on November 14 in Toronto!

In other news, we explore the concerns around parasites in oysters on the East Coast; we break down Bill C-282 on supply management—why it’s crucial and why it’s poised to pass; and finally, we look at the massive U.S. port strike and its implications for Canada, and congratulate Darrell Jones of Pattison Food Group on his retirement, with Jamie Nelson stepping in as his successor.

 

About Marie-Noëlle

Marie-Noëlle Cano is the President of CANO Intelligence Collective Inc., a consulting firm founded after more than 20 years of experience advising executives of Quebec, Canadian, and international companies in 360-communications and Sustainable Development, thanks to her strategic and innovative business thinking.

With her multi-sector experience, both local, national, and international, and her ability to leverage team talents, Marie-Noëlle is a trusted resource for the leaders she collaborates with. She also serves on various boards and committees.

Throughout her career, she has held management positions that have led her to spearhead major, differentiating projects in communications, business strategies, and sustainable development with her teams.

Between 2021 and 2024, the CTAQ (Quebec Food Processing Council) and MAPAQ (Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food of Quebec) sought her expertise as a consultant to initiate and develop a crucial initiative for Quebec: the launch of Amélioration Alimentaire Québec (AAQ), whose mission is to encourage decision-makers in Quebec’s food industry to increase the supply of products with enhanced nutritional value.

She is also a graduate of HEC Montreal (Business School) and the University of Montreal in management and public relations, as well as in Catalan language and literature. Marie-Noëlle is currently pursuing studies at the University of Sherbrooke to obtain accreditation from the Ministry of Justice of the Government of Quebec as a civil, commercial, and workplace mediator.
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Quick and acute analysis. Clear and grounded vision. Inspiring leadership. A magnetic approach that captivates collaborators, with an ability to see talent & increase engagement, ensuring results & success for you as an executive, your teams and your business. Perfectly bilingual with world-wide and multi-sector experience. Canadian and European (France) Citizenships.

 

https://collectivecano.com/en.html#

About Us

Dr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Visiting Professor in Food Policy and Distribution at McGill University and 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, also located at Dalhousie University.

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 with over 775 published peer-reviewed journal articles. Dr. Charlebois is also an editor for the prestigious Trends in Food Science Technology journal. 

He co-hosts The Food Professor podcast, discussing issues in the food, foodservice, grocery and restaurant industries and which is the most listened Canadian 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. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, nationally as well as internationally. 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 and other countries.

With extensive experience collaborating with businesses, governments, and NGOs, Dr. Charlebois combines academic rigor with practical expertise, making him one of the most influential voices in the global agri-food landscape. His work continues to advance the understanding of food systems, fostering innovation and resilience in a rapidly evolving industry. In 2025, he received the prestigious Charles III medal recognizing his tremendous work in informing Canadians about food issues.

 Michael LeBlanc is a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and media entrepreneur. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions hosted senior retail executive on-stage in 1:1 interviews worldwide. Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including The Remarkable Retail Podcast, The Voice of Retail, The Food Professor, The FEED powered by Loblaw and the Global eCommerce Leaders podcast.  He has been recognized by the National Retail Federation (NRF) as a global Top Retail Voice for 2025 and 2025, and continues to be a ReThink Retail Top Retail Expert for the fifth year in a row.