Sylvain Charlebois

Charlebois was raised on a rural farm in Quebec. He has a degree in commerce from the Royal Military College of Canada. He obtained a Master of Business Administration from the Université du Québec à Montréal and a Doctor of Business Administration at the University of Sherbrooke, writing his thesis on mad cow disease's impact on the Canadian beef industry and food distribution.{{Cite news |last=Fawcett |first=Max |date=October 9, 2024 |title=Sylvain Charlebois is Canada's 'Food Professor.' His take on food prices is helping shape our climate policy debate |url=https://www.nationalobserver.com/2024/10/09/news/sylvain-charlebois-carbon-tax-food-professor-prices |access-date=December 24, 2024 |work=National Observer}}

After getting his Phd, Charlebois moved to Saskatchewan for a teaching position at the University of Regina in 2004. He became associate dean of the Faculty of Business Administration in 2008 and joined the Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy, a joint operation between the University of Regina and the University of Saskatchewan, as an associate director the following year.{{cite news |last1=Pitman |first1=Teresa |title=February 3: Research Must Reach the Wider Public, says Associate Dean Sylvain Charlebois |url=https://www.uoguelph.ca/lang/news/february-3-research-must-reach-wider-public-says-associate-dean-sylvain-charlebois |access-date=January 28, 2025 |work=uoguelph.ca |publisher=University of Guelph |date=February 3, 2011}} In the 2000s, his research focused on food systems and began making media appearances as a food expert.

From 2010 to 2016, Charlebois was a professor at the University of Guelph's College of Business and Economics, where he co-founded the Arrell Food Institute.{{cite news |last1=Bradley |first1=Susan |title=Dalhousie looks into bullying, harassment complaints against school dean |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/dalhousie-university-bullying-harassment-management-school-1.4733466 |publisher=CBC |date=6 July 2018 |access-date=2 July 2019 |archive-date=24 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180824195248/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/dalhousie-university-bullying-harassment-management-school-1.4733466 |url-status=live }} At his college, he served as associate dean of research and graduate studies, executive programs, and academics, as well as a stint as acting dean.{{Cite news |last=Semansky |first=Matt |date=August 12, 2016 |title=From farm to Air Force to the Faculty of Management: Get to know Dean Sylvain Charlebois |url=https://www.dal.ca/news/2016/08/12/from-farm-to-air-force-to-the-faculty-of-management--get-to-know.html |access-date=January 28, 2025 |work=Dal News |publisher=University of Dalhousie}}

In 2016, he was named dean of the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University.{{cite web |title=Sylvain Charlebois |url=https://www.dal.ca/faculty/management/school-of-public-administration/faculty-staff/our-faculty/sylvain-charlebois.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210226125436/https://www.dal.ca/faculty/management/school-of-public-administration/faculty-staff/our-faculty/sylvain-charlebois.html |archive-date=26 February 2021 |access-date=5 March 2021 |website=School of Public Administration Dalhousie Faculty of Management |publisher=Dalhousie University}} In 2018, Charlebois became the director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie, after resigning as dean following an investigation into complaints involving harassment and bullying. Following Charlebois's resignation, a university spokesman stated that the conclusions of the investigation would remain confidential but that "no further action" would be taken in relation to the investigation.{{cite news |last1=d'Entremont |first1=Danielle |title=High-profile Dal business dean stepping down; will lead new agri-food institute |url=https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.4796909 |publisher=CBC |date=23 August 2018 |access-date=25 September 2022 |archive-date=24 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220924053110/https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.4796909 |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |last=ICI.Radio-Canada.ca |first=Zone Société- |title=Sylvain Charlebois quitte son poste de doyen à l'Université Dalhousie |url=https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/1119709/sylvain-charlebois-universite-dalhousie-enquete-demission |access-date=2023-05-17 |website=Radio-Canada.ca |date=23 August 2018 |language=fr-ca}}

Charlebois writes a blog for Canadian Grocer magazine called "The Food Professor,"{{Cite web |title=The Food Professor |url=https://www.canadiangrocer.com/blogs/the-food-professor |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180821224910/http://www.canadiangrocer.com/blogs/the-food-professor |archive-date=21 August 2018 |access-date=8 March 2021}} and is a co-host of the podcast titled "The Food Professor."{{cite web |date= |title=Podcast |url=https://the-food-professor.simplecast.com/episodes/sylvain-give-the-canadian-government-a-b-on-agriculture-coivd-19-support-pandemic-processing-plants-and-the-joy-of-gardening |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200623033234/https://the-food-professor.simplecast.com/episodes/sylvain-give-the-canadian-government-a-b-on-agriculture-coivd-19-support-pandemic-processing-plants-and-the-joy-of-gardening |archive-date=23 June 2020 |access-date=2021-03-05 |publisher=the-food-professor.simplecast.com}}

Charlebois and his wife Janèle Vézeau are also co-directors of the Canadian Agri-Food Foresight Institute, a private consulting company in the agri-food industry.

In 2024, Charlebois was the Project Lead for Canada's Food Price Report, a study on food pricing trends prepared by researchers at Dalhousie University, the University of Guelph, the University of British Columbia and the University of Saskatchewan.{{cite web | url=https://www.dal.ca/sites/agri-food/research/canada-s-food-price-report-2025.html | title=Agri-Food Analytics Lab: Canada's Food Price Report 2025 | publisher=Agri-Food Analytics Lab – Dalhousie University }}{{cite web | url=https://cdn.dal.ca/content/dam/dalhousie/pdf/sites/agri-food/EN%20-%20Food%20Price%20Report%202025.pdf | publisher=Agri-Food Analytics Lab – Dalhousie University | title=Canada's Food Price Report 2025}}{{cite web |date=12 December 2011 |title=Rising Food Prices: U of G Economists Predict Some Relief in 2012 |url=http://www.uoguelph.ca/news/2011/12/rising_food_pri.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120208220404/http://www.uoguelph.ca/news/2011/12/rising_food_pri.html |archive-date=8 February 2012 |access-date=12 February 2012 |work=uoguelph.ca}} An August 2024 paper in Canadian Food Studies found that the Report were "scientifically incomplete" since it did not adequately account for climate change and the impact of corporate decisions on price.

In January 2023 Charlebois penned a commentary on the increase in thefts from supermarkets, and how it raises costs for grocers and leads to higher grocery prices.{{cite news |last1=Judd |first1=Amy |date=16 January 2013 |title=Soaring grocery prices in Canada spark increase in thefts from stores: researcher |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/9414027/soaring-grocery-prices-canada-theft-stores/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230117050835/https://globalnews.ca/news/9414027/soaring-grocery-prices-canada-theft-stores/ |archive-date=17 January 2023 |access-date=17 January 2023 |work=Global News}}{{cite news |last1=Charlebois |first1=Sylvain |date=10 January 2023 |title=We all pay for grocery theft |url=https://www.saltwire.com/atlantic-canada/business/sylvain-charlebois-we-all-pay-for-grocery-theft-100812369/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230117050835/https://www.saltwire.com/atlantic-canada/business/sylvain-charlebois-we-all-pay-for-grocery-theft-100812369/ |archive-date=17 January 2023 |access-date=17 January 2023 |publisher=SaltWire Network |agency=Postmedia News}}{{cite news |last=Charlebois |first=Sylvain |date=9 January 2023 |title=We all pay for grocery theft: With food inflation at record highs, it is no surprise to learn there are cases of theft occurring, but that trend could mean more cameras, security guards and perhaps even anti-theft devices directly on food products |url=https://canadiangrocer.com/we-all-pay-grocery-theft |work=Canadian Grocer}}

The piece, and a Twitter post, was met with criticism, and debate about the morality of food theft.{{cite news |last1=Bousquet |first1=Tim |date=16 January 2023 |title=Theft from grocery stores and the end of civilization as we know it |url=https://www.halifaxexaminer.ca/morning-file/theft-from-grocery-stores-and-the-end-of-civilization-as-we-know-it/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230117050835/https://www.halifaxexaminer.ca/morning-file/theft-from-grocery-stores-and-the-end-of-civilization-as-we-know-it/ |archive-date=17 January 2023 |access-date=17 January 2023 |work=Halifax Examiner}}{{cite news |last1=Hearing |first1=Alice |date=16 January 2023 |title=Food professor earning $221,000-a-year embroiled in debate over inflation crisis after he slams grocery shoplifters |url=https://fortune.com/2023/01/16/food-professor-221000-salary-embroiled-debate-inflation-crisis-slams-grocery-shoplifters/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230206174117/https://fortune.com/2023/01/16/food-professor-221000-salary-embroiled-debate-inflation-crisis-slams-grocery-shoplifters/ |archive-date=6 February 2023 |access-date=6 February 2023 |work=Fortune}} Twitter users drew attention to Charlebois' salary from Dalhousie University, and his receipt of a $60,000 grant in 2018 from the Weston Foundation, which is funded by Weston Family companies that include Loblaws, one of Canada's largest grocery retailers.{{cite news |last=Lev |first=Elianna |date=8 February 2024 |title='Food Professor' Sylvain Charlebois criticized for 'out of touch' op-ed on groceries: 'Wish I could say I am shocked' - Sylvian Charlebois, known as the "Food Professor," insists his efforts in the industry are having a more positive impact on Canadians than some might realize |url=https://ca.news.yahoo.com/food-professor-sylvain-charlebois-criticized-for-out-of-touch-op-ed-on-groceries-wish-i-could-say-i-am-shocked-173409299.html |work=Yahoo! News}}{{cite news |last1=Stoodley |first1=Chris |date=15 January 2023 |title='They should shoplift even more': Some Canadians stealing high-priced food from grocery stores |url=https://news.yahoo.com/canadians-stealing-high-priced-food-grocery-stores-232257562.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230117050835/https://news.yahoo.com/canadians-stealing-high-priced-food-grocery-stores-232257562.html |archive-date=17 January 2023 |access-date=17 January 2023 |work=Yahoo! News}}

In response, Charlebois said the grant went to Dalhousie University and was used to pay a graduate student; and that people are upset with grocers since, with food inflation over 10 percent, "they're looking for a scapegoat."

Charlebois says he is "pro-carbon tax." However, he recommended pausing the tax until a comprehensive impact assessment was completed. He said the effect on retail prices of carbon pricing in Canada is very difficult to assess, but the program could compromise the competitiveness of Canada's food industry, thereby affecting Canada's food security over time.

In Fall 2023, Charlebois questioned a Bank of Canada analysis of how carbon pricing affected food prices. Also, he said a University of Calgary study that found the British Columbia carbon tax raised average food prices by a third of a percentage point had "severe limitations" since the Statistics Canada data employed may not fully incorporate how the carbon tax affects the entire supply chain.{{cite web | url=https://x.com/FoodProfessor/status/1741511624580649417?s=20 | date=31 December 2023 | title=Post | publisher=X }}{{cite web | title=Evidence – AGRI (44-1) – No. 89, Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food | date=6 February 2024 | publisher=House of Commons of Canada | url= https://www.ourcommons.ca/documentviewer/en/44-1/AGRI/meeting-89/evidence  }}

Canadians for Tax Fairness said Charlebois's analysis insufficiently acknowledged the rebate that Canadians received for the carbon tax. Charlebois' criticisms of the carbon tax were cited by the media and the Conservative Party of Canada.{{Cite news |last=Fawcett |first=Max |date=October 9, 2024 |title=Sylvain Charlebois is Canada's 'Food Professor.' His take on food prices is helping shape our climate policy debate |url=https://www.nationalobserver.com/2024/10/09/news/sylvain-charlebois-carbon-tax-food-professor-prices |access-date=December 24, 2024 |work=National Observer}}{{cite news | work=National Post | first=Tyler | last=Dawson | title=What we know about how much the carbon tax is to blame for spiking food costs in Canada: While it's clear that grocery prices have spiked, when it comes to what's actually causing food inflation, things are a bit more complicated | date=22 September 2023 | url= https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/carbon-tax-groceries-food-prices  }}{{cite web | url= https://x.com/CPC_HQ/status/1755273515039653899?s=20 | title=Post | date=7 February 2024 | publisher=X }}{{cite news | work=CBC News | title=Big questions about what carbon pricing means for the Canadian food sector: Expert says more discussion needed on how carbon pricing schemes will affect Canadian agriculture | date=4 January 2017 | url= https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/carbon-pricing-nova-scotia-food-1.3920543 }}{{cite news | work=The Western Producer | url= https://www.producer.com/crops/remove-carbon-tax-throughout-the-food-chain-professor/ | title=Remove carbon tax throughout the food chain: professor | first=Karen | last=Briere | date=15 February 2024 }}{{cite news | work=Edmonton Journal | title='Mega-intellectual PR machine': Professor blasts gigantic funding of Trudeau Liberals climate narrative | date= 12 April 2024 | url= https://edmontonjournal.com/opinion/columnists/david-staples-mega-intellectual-pr-machine-professor-blasts-gigantic-funding-of-trudeau-liberals-climate-narrative }}

Charlebois referred to critics of his work as the "intellectual C-tax mob" and he said "the so-called 'woke' movement is successfully influencing food policies" since "Most of us are data illiterate, including many politicians".{{Cite tweet |number=1720880523172565448 |user=FoodProfessor |title=Nothing I posted was factually inaccurate. They simply said the Governor answered questions, but the affirmation is the exact same, which means you never read my initial post. You've been duped by the intellectual C-tax mob. |first=Sylvain |last=Charlebois |date=November 4, 2023 |access-date=January 28, 2025}}{{Cite tweet |number=1624018283568500737 |user=FoodProfessor |title=Speaking at @CanadaPork's annual meeting in Toronto this week. "Most of us are data illiterate, including many politicians, which is why the so-called "woke" movement is successfully influencing food policies now." (Photo credit: @OntarioAgLawyer) |first=Sylvain |last=Charlebois |date=February 10, 2023 |access-date=January 28, 2025}}

Charlebois has said the federal government's plastic pollution reduction campaign and a fertilizer emissions reduction plan would be likely to raise costs and lead to more international food scarcity.{{cite news |last=Charlebois |first=Sylvain |date=3 August 2022 |title=Canadian farming is losing battle to urban politics: Aggressive emission targets will likely lead to more people, not fewer, experiencing famine around the world, none of whom will be Canadian. |url=https://leaderpost.com/opinion/columnists/charlebois-canadian-farming-is-losing-battle-to-urban-politics |work=Regina Leader Post}}{{cite news | newspaper=Toronto Sun | first=Sylvain | last=Charlebois | title=Ideology shouldn't push plastic elimination agenda: Policies should strive to create a level playing field for all while remaining grounded in scientific evidence | date=20 November 2023 | url= https://torontosun.com/opinion/columnists/charlebois-ideology-shouldnt-push-plastic-elimination-agenda

}}

A study co-authored by Charlebois found that between 2012 and 2021, the Canadian dairy industry discarded on farms an estimated 7% of all milk produced (over 6.8 billion liters of raw milk, valued at $6.7 billion).{{cite news | work=The Globe and Mail | author=The Editorial Board | title=Spilled milk that's worth a political outcry | url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/editorials/article-spilled-milk-thats-worth-a-political-outcry/ | date=22 October 2024}} The Canadian Dairy Commission and the chief executive officer of Dairy Farmers of Canada contested the study's data and assumptions, saying the practice takes place only on rare occasions. Charlebois stated to The Globe and Mail that the dairy farming community "is doing nothing" to limit the amount of surplus milk, and that since dairy is under supply management, no waste should be tolerated.{{cite news |last=McClearn |first=Matthew |date=16 October 2024 |title=Canada's dairy farms dump 7 per cent of all milk produced, study contends |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-canadas-dairy-farms-dump-7-per-cent-of-all-milk-produced-study/ |work=The Globe and Mail}}{{cite journal |last1=Elliot |first1=Thomas |last2=Goldstein |first2=Benjamin |last3=Charlebois |first3=Sylvain |date=January 2025 |title=Over 6 billion liters of Canadian milk wasted since 2012 |journal=Ecological Economics |volume=227 |doi=10.1016/j.ecolecon.2024.108413 |doi-access=free}}

Charlebois has also co-authored reports related to the Canadian Wheat Board’s Daily Price Contract program, Canada's Food Guide,{{cite news |last1=Hui |first1=Ann |date=14 March 2019 |title=Study suggests the new Canada's Food Guide is more affordable only under specific conditions |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-study-suggests-new-food-guide-is-more-affordable-only-under-specific/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190317074114/https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-study-suggests-new-food-guide-is-more-affordable-only-under-specific/ |archive-date=17 March 2019 |access-date=17 March 2019 |work=The Globe and Mail}} edible cannabis legislation,{{cite news |last1=Auld |first1=Alison |date=26 September 2017 |title=Canadians favour marijuana legalization, curious about weed edibles: Dalhousie survey |url=https://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/canadians-favour-marijuana-legalization-curious-about-weed-edibles-dalhousie-survey-1.3606143 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181003141414/https://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/canadians-favour-marijuana-legalization-curious-about-weed-edibles-dalhousie-survey-1.3606143 |archive-date=3 October 2018 |access-date=3 October 2018 |work=CTV News |agency=The Canadian Press}} and public perception towards GMOs.{{cite news |last1=Auld |first1=Alison |date=26 September 2017 |title=Canadians favour marijuana legalization, curious about weed edibles: Dalhousie survey |url=https://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/canadians-favour-marijuana-legalization-curious-about-weed-edibles-dalhousie-survey-1.3606143 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181003141414/https://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/canadians-favour-marijuana-legalization-curious-about-weed-edibles-dalhousie-survey-1.3606143 |archive-date=3 October 2018 |access-date=3 October 2018 |work=CTV News |agency=The Canadian Press}}

• {{cite book |last=Charlebois |first=Sylvain |title=Poutine Nation|date=2021 |publisher=FIDES |isbn=978-2762144116 |url=https://editionsfides.com/products/poutine-nation}}
• {{cite book |last=Charlebois |first=Sylvain |title=Food Safety, Risk Intelligence and Benchmarking|date=2017 |publisher=Wiley |isbn=978-1-119-07112-9 |url=https://www.wiley.com/en-gb/Food+Safety,+Risk+Intelligence+and+Benchmarking-p-9781119071129}}

{{Reflist}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Charlebois, Sylvain}}

Category:Canadian economists

Category:Academic staff of Dalhousie University

Category:Living people

Category:Royal Military College Saint-Jean alumni

Category:Université de Montréal alumni

Category:Université de Sherbrooke alumni

Category:Academic staff of the University of Guelph

Category:Year of birth missing (living people)