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Mike von Massow

May 18, 20224 min read

Another Look at Food Inflation Numbers

Statistics Canada released the food price index for April 2022 and the news continues to be concerning. Year over year food prices have...

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What are the newest food inflation numbers telling us?

Mike von Massow

Apr 20, 20223 min read

What are the newest food inflation numbers telling us?

Statistics Canada released the food price index for March 2022 and the news is much as we would have expected. Year over year food prices...

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Mike von Massow

Apr 20, 20224 min read

Can Governments Control Food Prices??

The rhetoric around inflation generally and food prices specifically is growing louder. It is a point of emphasis for politicians,...

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Can Canada Make Up the Gap in Ukrainian Wheat Production?

Mike von Massow

Mar 17, 20222 min read

Can Canada Make Up the Gap in Ukrainian Wheat Production?

We are hearing a lot about the impact of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the impact on world wheat markets. Ukraine is a significant...

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Mike von Massow

Jan 24, 20225 min read

Is the Food System Close to Collapse?

The simple answer is NO. In recent days we have heard about shortages in grocery stores and the potential for stores to close because of...

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Trade a Key Component of Climate Resilience for Food System

Mike von Massow

Oct 5, 20212 min read

Trade a Key Component of Climate Resilience for Food System

The COVID-19 pandemic caused supply chain disruptions which included the food sector. Some of these disruptions were short term - lack...

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An Integrated Beef Market Offers Protection from Plant Closures

Mike von Massow

May 11, 20204 min read

An Integrated Beef Market Offers Protection from Plant Closures

Post by Brendan McDougall As scary as COVID-19 is, the potential for secondary consequences such as wide-scale food shortages are equally...

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Mike von Massow

Apr 15, 20203 min read

In a COVID-19 World, is Local Better?

Our food system has weathered an unprecedented demand shift and shock over the past month. Overall, we have come out of it reasonably...

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Mike von Massow

Dec 31, 20193 min read

Reflecting on Past Trends Reports

The Food Focus team generates an annual Food Trends Report to highlight key factors that will be front and center in the food discourse...

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Where should we set production standards?

Mike von Massow

Sep 17, 20192 min read

Where should we set production standards?

I read an article this weekend highlighting that many North American meat companies are wrestling with how to deal with beef from Brazil....

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African swine fever in China affects Canadian pork export market

Mike von Massow

Aug 28, 20194 min read

African swine fever in China affects Canadian pork export market

I was recently asked to complete an email interview on African swine fever, the Chinese pork industry and Canadian exports. I thought it...

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Mike von Massow

Aug 26, 20193 min read

A Note on Dairy Compensation

There has been considerable discussion about the compensation package for dairy producers recently announced by the Liberal government....

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China and trade: easy to criticize but not much Canada can do

Mike von Massow

Jul 5, 20192 min read

China and trade: easy to criticize but not much Canada can do

China continues to put up new barriers to trade for Canadian food products. Each action is built on the pretence of a technical issue,...

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Let’s not rush to judgement on Maple Leaf

Mike von Massow

Apr 22, 20193 min read

Let’s not rush to judgement on Maple Leaf

Maple Leaf recently announced the construction of a manufacturing facility in Indiana for their Lightlife plant-based protein products...

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The weaponization of trade will hurt Canadian ag and food industry

Mike von Massow

Apr 1, 20193 min read

The weaponization of trade will hurt Canadian ag and food industry

Export trade has been an important part of Canada’s agriculture and food economy. Half of what we produce in this country is sold in...

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From cannabis edibles to plant proteins: 2019 food trends

Mike von Massow

Feb 13, 20195 min read

From cannabis edibles to plant proteins: 2019 food trends

A piece that my colleagues Alfons Weersink, Aaron De Laporte, Liam Kelly and I published on the Conversation on February 12th, 2019. Food...

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The two key issues on the table to bring Canada back in to NAFTA

Mike von Massow

Sep 12, 20185 min read

The two key issues on the table to bring Canada back in to NAFTA

This was also published on the conversation.com on September 3rd, 2018. Negotiations for a revised North American Free Trade Agreement...

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RELATED PROJECTS

Considering the complexity of food, it is no surprise that conversations about it can be broad and diverse. In order to better understand how people think about food, Mike is involved in several projects. Learn more about each project below.

UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH SUSTAINABLE RESTAURANT PROJECT

Our team is a group of students, faculty and community partners that are committed to working towards a more sustainable future for the restaurant industry. Every year we hold a forum, bringing prominent speakers to the University of Guelph to discuss issues in the Canadian Restaurant Industry.

Learn More

foodFOCUS

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BLOG

Keep up with the conversation here.

RELATED PROJECTS

Considering the complexity of food, it is no surprise that conversations about it can be broad and diverse. In order to better understand how people think about food, Mike is involved in several projects. Learn more about each project below.

UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH SUSTAINABLE RESTAURANT PROJECT