Browsing by Author "Charlebois, Sylvain"

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Open Access
A Conceptual Comparative Analysis Between the British and the Canadian Mad Cow Crisis: The Cost of Learning
(Saskatchewan Institute of Public Policy, 2005-09) Charlebois, Sylvain
On 20 March 1996, a date also known as “Black Wednesday” in the British beef industry, the British Secretary of State for Health announced that a possible link existed between Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) or “mad cow” disease and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD), the human variant of mad cow, thus creating environmental uncertainty in the food chain. In the two weeks after 20 March 1996, retail sales of beef products fell in excess of 33 per cent and continued to fall over the following month, clearly demonstrating the preliminary impact of the scare on the purchasing behaviour of British consumers. Massive media coverage about the uncertainty, the lack of information, and what the announcement really meant for food and public safety overtook the political agenda of the British beef industry. Other countries around the world, including Canada and members of the European Union, banned imports of British beef products. Major restaurant chains, including McDonald’s and Burger King, saw their sales decline.
Open Access
The Gateway to a Market-driven Agricultural Economy: A Framework for Demand Chain Management in the Food Industry
(Saskatchewan Institute of Public Policy, 2007-03) Charlebois, Sylvain
It has been recognized that agriculture and food companies have a long tradition of being commodity-driven, with an emphasis on production technology, high volumes, and quality consistency. In the context of global hyper-competitivity, the ability to understand customer needs and adapt to a wider variety of customer situations will become crucial. The purpose of this paper is to provide a structured demand chain design framework that can be linked with Gateway and Corridor management practices. Since a direct correlation exists between the wealth of a nation and how it consumes food, we first present five utilities and several factors that are perceived differently by customers once a nation becomes affluent. We then present supply and demand thrusts that could leverage Canada’s position in international food trade. Finally, some analysis and limitations are presented.
Open Access
SIPP Policy Dialogue Number 14 Winter 2007
(Saskatchewan Institute of Public Policy, 2007) Bell, Patricia; Whyte, John D.; Axworthy, Chris; Smith, David E.; Burch, Fred; Penikett, Tony; Marshall, Jim; Charlebois, Sylvain; Langenbacher, Wolfgang; Paul, Linda; Poitras, Derek; Furtan, Hartley
It would seem a federal election is in the air. While in their early days, the federal Conservatives approached the task of governing from a fairly rigid, even ideological, perspective, their governing style has become increasingly politically astute and responsive as they have become more experienced at governing. Now, with an election pending, we are not only seeing campaign-style advertisements designed to weaken any momentum the Liberals may have generated from their leadership, but we see a government that at first seemed ideologically antienvironment providing $1.5B for responses to climate change. As the editorial cartoon on our website this month suggests, everyone in the House of Commons seems to have turned green these days!