Alumni

Ghana's Cocoa Price Surge: A Bitter Truth for Chocolate Lovers

admin — Tue, 12 Aug 2025 19:26:53 +0000

Last week, La Presse reporters spoke to agronomist and economist Pascal Thériault about a recent price surge of 62.58% for Ghanaian cocoa, a move aimed at supporting its struggling farmers. This significant price hike is expected to affect not only other cocoa-producing countries but also global chocolate manufacturers and consumers.

Pascal Thériault warns consumers to be on the lookout for misleading Canadian labels

admin — Mon, 11 Aug 2025 15:54:28 +0000

Canned soup giant Campbell's has come under fire for engaging in "maple washing" — a marketing tactic where foreign-made products are falsely associated with Canada through the use of maple leaves or vague labels like “Designed in Canada.” This misleading practice gives consumers the impression that products are Canadian when they are not.

Welcome message from the Dean / Message de bienvenue de la doyenne

admin — Thu, 07 Aug 2025 13:30:14 +0000

Dear Macdonald Campus Community,

It is with great excitement and gratitude that I begin my journey as the new Dean of the Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and Associate Vice-President of the Macdonald Campus at �鶹ɫ��Ƭ. As I begin my term, I’m excited to connect with each of you - professors, lecturers, staff, learners, students, alumni, donors, and allies. Thank you for the trust you have placed in me.

Natural Resource Sciences grad students reduce lab plastic waste by nearly 50%

admin — Tue, 18 Mar 2025 12:24:58 +0000

Single-use plastics are everywhere—but two �鶹ɫ��Ƭ researchers are redefining the norm and championing sustainability.

"Although plastic pollution wasn’t the main focus of our research, safeguarding water bodies is essential to our work, and we knew we had to address the disconnect between our values and laboratory practices."

A passion for animal welfare

admin — Wed, 05 Mar 2025 18:37:18 +0000

Although Andrea Amado doesn’t come from an agricultural background, she was drawn to farms from a young age. Originally from Argentina, she moved to Sherbrooke, Quebec with her family when she was four. Some of her earliest memories are of visiting farms and connecting with the animals, especially cows and horses. This interest eventually led her to �鶹ɫ��Ƭ, where she earned a B.Sc. in Agricultural and Environmental Sciences in 2023 and is now in her second semester of the M.Sc.

Macdonald alumna Stéphanie Naud heads to World Lumberjacking Championship

admin — Thu, 17 Jul 2025 14:08:58 +0000

The athlete began this sport at �鶹ɫ��Ƭ, the only school in Quebec to offer the opportunity to do logging as a sport.

Stéphanie Naud, FMT’14, BSc(AgEnvSc)’17, is representing Canada at the World Timber Sports Championships in Wisconsin from July 16–19.

McRace 2025!

admin — Thu, 07 Aug 2025 04:26:58 +0000

Is eating Canadian better for your health?

admin — Wed, 09 Apr 2025 17:45:05 +0000

In a recent article, La Presse investigates whether boycotting American products could improve our health. Experts interviewed for the article said it's possible—but only if we change other eating habits in the process.

�鶹ɫ��Ƭ Joins Ghanaian Partners to Empower Youth and Transform Agrifood Systems

admin — Thu, 17 Jul 2025 15:18:38 +0000

As part of the Nkabom Collaborative supported by the Mastercard Foundation, �鶹ɫ��Ƭ has joined forces with Ghanaian institutions in a bold initiative to foster youth leadership and transform the agrifood ecosystem in Ghana and beyond.

Tariff trouble prompts Montrealers to prepare for price hikes—comments from Pascal Thériault

admin — Wed, 05 Mar 2025 20:08:55 +0000

Food including meat, vegetables, and fruits are on the long list of products from the U.S. subject to Canada’s 25% counter-tariffs.

It might take a few weeks, but most retailers will pass the cost on to Quebecers, �鶹ɫ��Ƭ agricultural economist Pascal Thériault, Farm Management and Technology Program Director, told CTV News.

�鶹ɫ��Ƭ alumnus appointed head of the Royal Brinkman agronomy department

admin — Wed, 16 Apr 2025 18:05:18 +0000

Royal Brinkman Canada has appointed Mohammed Antar (PhD, P.Ag) as head of its agronomy department, noting in their announcement that he "will play a key role in helping growers enhance crop productivity and quality through innovative, science-based solutions."

Mohammed earned his Ph.D. in Plant Science (Agronomy) from �鶹ɫ��Ƭ in 2024. His expertise spans agronomy, microbe-coated fertilizers, nutrient management, sustainable agriculture, and biological products.

Pascal Thériault: For American farmers, it is impossible to do without Canadian potash

admin — Tue, 11 Mar 2025 19:08:29 +0000

As the threat of impending tariffs and counter-tariffs loom, U.S. agricultural producers have very few options to substitute Canadian potash, an essential ingredient in fertilizer, �鶹ɫ��Ƭ agronomist and economist Pascal Thériault told TVA Nouvelles.

Rising cocoa prices push alumni-founded Remix Snacks to innovate

admin — Mon, 16 Jun 2025 20:55:19 +0000

In the wake of soaring cocoa prices, Isabelle Lam, BSc(NutrSc)’19, co-founder of Remix Snacks, spoke to the Globe and Mail about innovation in an unpredictable economy.

Remix Snacks is known for it’s bean bark, a high-protein, high-fibre snack made with upcycled imperfect fruit, black beans, and 70% dark chocolate, which Lam and co-founder Jamie Lee, BSc(NutrSc)’19, developed while studying Nutrition at �鶹ɫ��Ƭ's Macdonald Campus.

Addressing Canada's agricultural labour shortage—column by Pascal Thériault

admin — Wed, 26 Feb 2025 20:47:03 +0000

In 2019, RBC released an alarming report revealing a labour shortage in Canada's agricultural sector that could reach 123,000 vacant positions, a slowdown in exports compared to our competitors, a growing proportion of university and college graduates compared to those with a secondary education or less, a shortfall in GDP, and more.

�鶹ɫ��Ƭ has become a leader in cannabis science

admin — Tue, 22 Apr 2025 19:46:54 +0000

The 4th Cannabis Scientific Symposium: From Plants to People, to be held May 5–6 at the RI-MUHC, brings together top researchers as well as investigators, policymakers and industrial stakeholders from across Canada and around the globe. Among the speakers are Allyn Howlett and Bruce Bugbee, two of the most influential scientists in cannabinoid and cannabis research.