CHARLEBOIS: The calorie economy is ending

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Source How do you grow an agri-food business when there are simply fewer mouths to feed? It may sound like a distant concern, but it is rapidly becoming one of the defining economic questions facing the global food industry. After climate change, demographic decline could well become the greatest long-term challenge for agriculture, food manufacturing, retail and foodservice. The latest figures from Quebec’s Institute of Statistics (ISQ) illustrate the point. In 2025, Quebec’s population declined slightly — the first decrease in more than half a century. As of January 1, 2026, the province’s population stood at approximately 9.03 million, down by about 9,600 people. The decline was driven primarily by a reduction in non-permanent residents, including temporary foreign workers, international students and asylum seekers. At the same time, Quebec continues to age, with deaths now...