Only 34% of Canadian companies have alternative supply options, compared with 44% globally. Vinayak Madappa, Strategic Advisory Partner at Capgemini, unpacks the firm’s World in Balance 2026 study. Michael and Sylvain preview the third annual MNP Food and Beverage Business Outlook. Canada ranks seventh in the G20, and Sylvain names the one lever he’d pull to move it into the top five. They also cover McCain’s expansion in India, Taylor Farms pausing Mexican sourcing, an oversupplied global wine market, rising banana prices and Italy as country of honour at SIAL Canada.
Vin explains why Canada’s heavy reliance on trade with the U.S. and Mexico leaves fresh produce, seafood and imported proteins most at risk. He also looks at why 89% of Canadian organizations report raw-material scarcity, compared with 67% in the U.S., and why the nine-to-12-month stockpiles many companies built to ride out tariffs are reaching a tipping point.
He makes the case for counter-seasonal sourcing from the Southern Hemisphere and AI-driven inventory intelligence, and for treating the supply chain as a business-continuity asset rather than a cost centre.
Before the interview, Michael and Sylvain preview the third annual MNP Food and Beverage Business Outlook. Canada ranks seventh in the G20, and Sylvain names the one lever he’d pull to move it into the top five. They also cover McCain’s expansion in India, Taylor Farms pausing Mexican sourcing, an oversupplied global wine market, rising banana prices and Italy as country of honour at SIAL Canada and Michael raves about Pirates of Coffee in advance of the Coffee Association of Canada's upcoming conferenc Thursday, November 12th, 2026
Topics include:
Canadian grocery supply chain resilience
Capgemini World in Balance 2026 study
Inventory buffers and raw-material scarcity
MNP Food and Beverage Business Outlook G20 rankings
Canada–India agri-food trade
Banana prices, diesel and monoculture risk