By Eugene Y. Chan and Liangyan Wang In 2018, Statistics Canada reported that nearly one in three Canadians were obese. Similar figures have been reported in Australia, but more concerning is the United States, where over 40 percent of the population is obese. Obesity is not the only diet-related illness to be concerned about — diabetes […]
By Pierre-Yann Dolbec The craft revolution is everywhere: Craft beers, specialty coffee, handmade soaps and artisanal ice cream. While some may think this is foolish snobbery, others revel in the esthetics of craft experiences. The craft revolution is often seen as a reaction against excessive industrialization or as a way to keep traditions and culture […]
By Matthew Philp, Ethan Pancer, and Jenna Jacobson The past decade has seen the rise of the Instagrammable food trend, where restaurants have altered menus to prioritize visual uniqueness — often at the expense of taste. In a competitive social media landscape where users are inundated with content, the question for restaurateurs has been how […]
By Rene Van Acker, Evan Fraser, and Lenore Newman Globally, about one-third of all greenhouse gas emissions come from agriculture and the food system. The carbon footprint of food systems includes all the emissions from its growing, processing, transportation, and waste. Agriculture is also vulnerable to the effects of climate change and, as the conflict […]
By William W. L. Cheung Restaurant menus across the West Coast of Canada will soon see an influx of squid and sardine dishes, while the popular sockeye salmon makes a slow exit. As it turns out, climate change may have something to do with this. Restaurants update their menus all the time and this often […]
By Simon Pek Tipping has long been a source of significant controversy, spilling over from time to time into the pages of Canadian media. Canadians’ views on tipping remain divided, as a recent survey by researchers from Dalhousie University has found. One reason why tipping garners so much interest is that it reshapes the relationship […]
By Michael von Massow The rhetoric around inflation and increasing food prices has become a point of emphasis for politicians, particularly for those in opposition to the incumbent government. Even pundits and non-profit organizations are pressuring the government into taking specific actions on food prices. This begs the question: Should governments take steps to reduce […]
By Geraint Harvey Last month, unemployment in Canada reached a record low of 5.2 per cent. Alongside low unemployment, many industries saw — and are still seeing — a worker shortage, with the number of job vacancies in Canada reaching 900,000 in January. Both of these things are good for workers, right? Prospective employers, desperate […]
By Janet Music & Sylvain Charlebois Food prices in Canada continue to soar in the face of labour shortages, the rising cost of goods and supply chain disruptions. Statistics Canada recently reported that the food inflation rate in the country has reached 7.4 per cent and that it will most likely rise again in the […]
By Vasiliki Bednar and Robin Shaban With the invention of gig-based platforms like Uber and SkipTheDishes, the gig economy has not just become an integral part of the labour industry, but also digital society as well. Along with the meteoric rise in popularity of these platforms, many of these companies have “monopsonies” in their industries. […]
