Price of M

It would be absurd to not recognize the presence of milk alternatives in the North
American diet, and the displacement this has on he dairy market itself. Millenials
are migrating to almond milk (the great favorite), replacing milk in their diets for
eating with cereals, smoothies and so forth. These milks occupy the shelves in
supermarket - not refrigerated unless opened - although,  here in Canada, they are
more expensive than regular milk products.

Personally, I'm a bit of a holdout, finding them less filling. Indeed they are, clocking
in at half the calories of even lower-fat milk. That may be part of their appeal,
especially if used with protein powders by those who go to the gym.

So a practical choice for some: the health enthusiasts. And a principled choice for
others: the vegans, and those suspicious of dairy generally. It is a quickly expanding
market...

Demographically, the population is aging ie the age pyramid holds more elderly people.
So per capita consumption of everything should be down, like ice cream. No surprise
there. But concerns with health initially created a market for yogurt, and is today pushing
many away from dairy altogether.

https://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Article/2016/04/15/Almond-milk-sales-continue-to-surge-as-dairy-milk-contracts-Nielsen

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How does Canada's management of offer in the dairy industry work. It comes down to
this: a farmer needs permission to produce milk ie bring it to market, and quotas are
established annually by province. They are also traded, so it is not Dictatorial control but
there is a market within a market, as well.

And for hot news, Maxime Bernier - the defeated leadership candidate famous for opposing this system - has just been booted from the Conservative Shadow Cabinet. Serious business...

Singapore Now

         
                                         *     *     *
Kim Jong-un visited the Singapore Botanical Gardens last night. Selfie, below:

source: Libération

Where in the world

Kim Jung-un is staying at the St-Regis, Singapore:



President Trump, like many American  presidents before him, is at the
Shangri-la:

 Tuesday's meeting will be held on an island off Singapore:

                                         *     *     *

The hottest club on the planet, ever on Ibiza (Hi):

Milk

So here's my take on the dairy management crisis, and the US.
In certain US circles, there are references to Soviet Canuckistan, because
the Canadian government makes sure dairy farmers get a reasonable return
for their activities. Prices are controlled and so is production. This goes against
the principle of market economy, where the consumers get the better
deal if producers compete one against the other.

My first thought: milk is milk. There is no better product. And it is
considered a necessary part of diet for children, so adequate supply is
necessary at all times. Personally, I have always felt reassured knowing
that milk is there, at a known price.

Currently, there is a glut of milk in the US. Arguably because there are too many
producers for their market. Dairy farming is much less profitable in the US.

The elephant in the room: veganism , and the reasons behind it. My secret hope is that -
because they are better remunerated - Canadian producers run more humane dairy farms.
There is Romanticism, and there is true reason for concern about industrial farming
practices. Largely inevitable that dairy farms will be full of 'female' cows, and that the
male young will be sold as veal. Troubling that cows will be kept without exercise, made
to milk under duress  in extraordinary quantities, and die off of illness and exhaustion at
age 5 when the life expectancy of a healthy cow is 20 years. That holds
both sides of the border.

As always, there is context. One can find all kinds of US dairy products that look like fun.
But then one sees a lot of other fun stuff at the larger chains. Maybe our own chains can
partner to import stuff from the US that would find a niche in those stores...

WGD

The G7 meeting in La Malbaie is getting nice weather. That is a relief.
The Journal de Montreal is running a brief history of the institution in
today's paper. I was happy to learn that it originated an informal meeting of finance ministers
that got pulled up to bring the actual leaders together, at the time of Valery Giscard d'Estaing.

http://www.journaldemontreal.com/2018/06/08/le-g7-une-reunion-informelle-des-grandes-puissances

Today is also World Gin Day, a happy coincidence for the Queen on the Trouping  the Color
(rumored to choose gin as her indulgence of choice).

And hard liquor is actually vegan. 
     
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What went down at the G7 meeting,acording to AFP (AgenceFrancePresse):

Asking Russia to return is not officially an issue; the US is firm about wanting various
countries to import more US products. There were overnight talks between officials.

 https://www.msn.com/fr-fr/actualite/monde/au-sommet-du-g7-sourires-sur-la-forme-tensions-sur-le-fond/ar-AAyq1ji?li=BBoJDO5

Say Cheese

Apparently, BuzzFeed France is about to be shut down ( and its 14
employees fired)because they do not generate sufficient revenue.
In point of fact, they do not get ads on their own but must rely on
BuzzFeed London to do the work.

I do not particularly care for avant-garde reporting from BuzzFeed.
France does not lack quality journalism. But the below feature
occupied a particular niche, and is irreplaceable!! I check them
two to three tines a week, usually in the evening before turning off.
They have a young audience...and me💃

Food Rules

I was interested to discover the origins of the - now controversial - Food Guide.
Canada's first Food Guide appeared in 1942, in a context of wartime food rationing. 

It was approved by Canada's Nutrition Council, which was comprised of food 
scientists, doctors, social workers.. It was meant to offer a practical embodiment 
of what eating for health should look like, given the knowledge about nutrition of 
the times, but also keeping in mind the nutritional problems experienced by various populations.

"Thus, the Official Food Rules were intended to be a focal point for a wartime 
nutrition program to improve the health of Canadians by maximizing nutrition 
in the context of food rationing and poverty."

And thus it begins: from its very inception, the  guide was building up health 
in populations perhaps malnourished, and certainly for all, intent on maximizing 
nutritional return. Here is what it looked like:

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Equally interesting, current hearings in France have to do with getting
clear on what  real food is (vs fake Food). Fish is food, sardines in oil is 
still food, fish sticks is fake food. The argument here is that the profitable 
practice of 'cracking' food into nutrients and then re-assembling them is not 
optimal for health...