As part of the Government of Quebec’s Biofood Policy, the level of consumer confidence is measured using the Baromètre de la confiance à l’égard des aliments, a tool developed at CIRANO by Nathalie de Marcellis-Warin, President and CEO, Researcher and Fellow at CIRANO, and Full Professor at Polytechnique Montréal, together with Ingrid Peignier, Senior Director of Partnerships and Research Valorization and Project Director at CIRANO.

Since 2019, the Barometer has tracked the evolution of Quebecers’ perceptions, knowledge, and behaviors regarding food, while identifying the key determinants of their trust. It serves as an essential decision-making tool for the government and for stakeholders across the biofood supply chain.

The 4th edition, published on November 4, 2025, takes place in a post-pandemic context marked by persistently high food prices and global instability, where geopolitical and environmental tensions shape consumer perceptions and behaviors. Conducted among a representative sample of 1,003 Quebecers, this edition reveals that citizens’ confidence in their food system is showing signs of recovery, yet remains fragile. It rests on three pillars: proximity, transparency, and credibility of the actors.

This portrait highlights a dual challenge: meeting public expectations for transparency and local sourcing, while strengthening citizens’ ability to understand and act within an increasingly complex food system.

            SUMMARY            

Ingrid Peignier presents CIRANO’s work at the CCGA Symposium in Halifax

On November 5, 2025, Ingrid Peignier, Senior Director of Partnerships and Research Valorization at CIRANO, presented the first results of an ongoing CIRANO project at the Annual Symposium of the Canadian Common Ground Alliance (CCGA), held in Halifax. Under the theme *“Quantifying the Hidden Costs of Underground Infrastructure Damages,”* the presentation aimed to shed light on the socio-economic costs of underground infrastructure damages in Canada.

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CIRANO welcomes Nobel Prize–winning economist David Card for a working session.

Le lauréat du Prix Nobel d’économie 2021, David Card, a passé la matinée du 29 octobre 2025 dans les bureaux du CIRANO à Montréal. En visite au Québec à l’occasion des cérémonies de remise de doctorats honorifiques de l’Université Concordia, il a profité de son passage pour travailler dans nos locaux.

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Dialogue on Research and Data in Education: A Day of Fruitful Exchanges Between Researchers and Practitioners

Le 30 octobre 2025, le CIRANO et le CIQSS ont organisé une journée de dialogue consacrée à la recherche et aux données en éducation. L’événement a réuni chercheurs, décideurs et praticiens autour d’enjeux clés liés à la réussite éducative, à la valorisation des données et à l’éclairage des politiques publiques.

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Molivann Panot Among the Presenters at the Annual Conference of the Transportation Association of Canada (TAC)

Le 8 octobre 2025, Molivann Panot, Directeur de projets au CIRANO, a pris la parole au Congrès annuel de l’Association des transports du Canada (ATC) à Québec, dans le cadre de la session « CC.4 Climate Vulnerability and Resilience: Getting Out in Front»

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Regards croisés sur les politiques familiales et l’éducation à la petite enfance : Canada–Norvège

Le 21 octobre dernier, le CReSP, le CIRANO et l’OPES, en collaboration avec l’AQCPE, ont organisé la conférence Grandir ensemble : Regards croisés Canada–Norvège sur l’éducation préscolaire. L’événement a permis de comparer les approches québécoises et scandinaves en matière de politiques familiales, d’équité, de qualité des services et de reconnaissance du personnel éducatif.

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Interopérabilité des données FPT : le CIRANO contribue à la consultation fédérale sur l’avenir du leadership du Canada en IA

Publié à l'occasion de la consultation nationale du gouvernement fédéral sur l'avenir du leadership du Canada en matière d'IA (du 1er au 31 octobre 2025), ce rapport constitue une contribution importante fondée sur des données probantes et des consultations intensives menées auprès d'universitaires, d'experts du secteur public ainsi que de hauts fonctionnaires provinciaux et fédéraux.

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Robert Gagné présente une conférence sur la productivité du Québec et du Canada dans le cadre des midis-conférences de la PRPG

Le 15 octobre dernier, Robert Gagné, Chercheur et Fellow CIRANO, a présenté une conférence dans le cadre des midis-conférences de la Programmation de recherche à portée gouvernementale (PRPG). Il y a discuté des enjeux de productivité au Québec et au Canada ainsi que des conséquences économiques et sociales qui en découlent.

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Marcelin Joanis Comments in La Presse on the New Federal Budget Framework

Olivier Jacques featured in the media to shed light on the debate over Bill 2 and physicians’ compensation in Quebec

Geneviève Dufour takes part in an exchange meeting of the Canadian Productivity Initiative at McGill University

Alejandro Romero-Torres analyzes the effects of the labor shortage on the Quebec City tramway construction site

CIRANO researchers take part in a collective reflection on Quebec’s future in a special feature by La Presse

Florian Mayneris analyzes the housing crisis in Sherbrooke

CIRANO researchers featured in the documentary Nid-de-poule

Julien Martin takes part in a panel discussion organized by the Montreal Institute of International Studies (IEIM)

François Castonguay contributes to the parliamentary discussion on antimicrobial resistance

External activity - 6th CEAR-IRE Workshop on Household Finance

This workshop brings together researchers interested in household financial decision-making. Both theoretical and empirical papers will be presented. We are pleased to welcome the participation of researchers from various disciplines, including economics, finance, risk management, insurance, and psychology. Three CIRANO researchers will take part in this event: Marie Connolly (UQAM, CIRANO), Franca Glenzer (HEC Montréal, CIRANO), and Amine Ouazad (HEC Montréal, CIRANO).

Applied Microeconomics Day in Montreal

The Applied Microeconomics Day in Montreal will be held on November 21, 2025, at CIRANO. This inclusive gathering, organized by Jean-François Gauthier, will bring together researchers from various academic institutions who share a passion for applied economics. This annual event aims to foster a sense of community and collaboration among economists working on a wide range of applied microeconomic topics. Its main goal is to create an environment where researchers can present their work, receive valuable feedback, and build meaningful connections with like-minded academics.

4th CIRANO Workshop on Experimental and Behavioral Research

Join the CIRANO Experimental and Behavioral Research Group for their 4th Workshop on Experimental and Behavioral Research. The topics will cover a wide range of themes analyzed through the lens of behavioral economics using rigorous statistical methods.

Education and the Economy: Impacts Beyond the Labor Market

The conference “Education and the Economy: Impacts Beyond the Labor Market” brings together researchers to reflect on how education influences far more than professional paths. Throughout the day, presentations address a variety of topics — from personality and academic success to mental health and the development of children and adults — to better understand how schooling shapes individuals and society. The event aims to foster dialogue among universities and highlight the depth of the connections between education, the economy, and collective well-being.

CIRANO Webinar - Crop Insurance and Risk Management for Yield Loss

The recent CIRANO study “Crop Insurance and Risk Management for Yield Loss,” by Jacinthe Cloutier (CIRANO, Université Laval), Marie-Ève Gaboury-Bonhomme (Université Laval), William Robitaille (Université Laval), Marie-Claude Roy (Université Laval), and Simone Ubertino (Université Laval), highlights the importance of increasing efforts to inform and advise Quebec’s farm managers about crop insurance programs, as well as more broadly about climate risks and strategies to address them. On December 8, during a lunchtime webinar, the authors will present the key findings of the report and answer questions from participants.

Les Québécois et l’alimentation : l’origine locale rassure, la transparence inspire confiance et la littératie prépare l’avenir

Nathalie De Marcellis-Warin et Ingrid Peignier

Since 2019, the CIRANO Barometer of Quebec Consumers’ Confidence in Food has tracked the evolution of Quebecers’ perceptions, knowledge, and behaviors related to food. The 2025 edition (De Marcellis-Warin & Peignier, 2025), conducted among a sample of 1,003 Quebecers representative of the province’s population, takes place in a post-pandemic context where food prices remain persistently high amid global geopolitical and trade tensions. The 2025 Barometer provides particularly valuable insights.

Vendre des produits à l’étranger pour une PME: Que sait-on du coût réel de l’exportation ?

Josée St-Pierre, Annie Royer, Crispin Enagogo et Jean-Pierre Dany Menguele

The biofood industry plays a vital role in Quebec’s economy and is a major part of its cultural identity. It encompasses a wide range of activities related to the production, processing, distribution, and consumption of food and beverages from both organic and conventional agriculture. In 2021, the biofood industry’s contribution to Quebec’s gross domestic product was estimated at more than 6 percent of the economy. Quebec’s biofood exports reached a record 11.4 billion dollars in 2022. However, small and medium-sized enterprises remain underrepresented among exporting companies.

Why is the wealth gap between Quebec and Ontario residents widening? Look no further than the homes they’re living in

Raquel Fonseca, Simon Lord et Markus Poschke

In terms of wealth, Quebec lags behind its neighbor Ontario, a gap that has widened over the past 25 years. A CIRANO study (Fonseca, Poschke, and Lord, 2025) provides an overview of the wealth of different socioeconomic groups in Quebec and Ontario through a detailed examination of the evolution of total household wealth and its various components. The authors show that real estate assets are the main factor explaining the wealth differences between Quebec and Ontario.

PROJECT REPORTS

Baromètre de la confiance des consommateurs Québécois à l’égard des aliments - 4e édition

Nathalie De Marcellis-Warin et Ingrid Peignier

Since 2019, the CIRANO Food Barometer has tracked the evolution of Quebecers’ perceptions, knowledge, and behaviors related to food. The 2025 edition, conducted among a representative sample of 1,003 Quebecers, provides particularly valuable insights: it takes place in a post-pandemic context characterized by persistent inflation and, more importantly, by geopolitical and trade tensions.

Assurance récolte et gestion des risques de perte de culture

Jacinthe Cloutier, Marie-Ève Gaboury-Bonhomme, William Robitaille, Marie-Claude Roy et Simone Ubertino

In the current context of climate change, the frequency of extreme events causing crop losses is increasing. Agricultural businesses face uncontrollable and often unpredictable events that can affect their income, margins, and production. The study highlights the importance of increasing efforts to inform and advise Quebec’s farm managers about crop insurance programs, as well as more broadly about climate risks and strategies to address them.

Accroitre la couverture universelle des soins de santé ? L’opinion des Québécois

Olivier Jacques, Marion Perrot, Alexandre Prud'homme, Carole Vincent et Roxane Borgès Da Silva

Since the creation of the Canadian healthcare system in the 1960s, some services have never been considered “medically necessary” and are therefore excluded from public coverage. In this study, the authors examine public perceptions regarding the expansion of healthcare services covered by the public insurance plan, based on a survey conducted in March 2025 among a representative sample of 1,000 individuals. The study analyzes the level of support for extending public coverage to include services provided by psychologists, as well as home care for people with loss of autonomy, dental care, and services offered by optometrists and physiotherapists.

Pollution atmosphérique et développement cognitif des jeunes

Catherine Haeck, Martino Pelli, Charles Séguin et Ana Catherina Ismachowiez Mamber

Air pollution emissions and concentrations in Quebec and Canada have generally decreased since the early 2000s. However, fine particulate matter has declined less than other pollutants, and the recent increase in wildfires raises concerns about a potential rebound, with negative impacts particularly on young people. In this study, the authors examine the effects of fine particulate matter concentrations on the cognitive and behavioral development of 4- and 5-year-old children in Canada. Although scores on certain tests are negatively associated with exposure to fine particles, the associations remain modest and statistically difficult to detect.

Mise en place des pratiques agroenvironnementales

Bernard Korai, Rémy Lambert, Wajdi Hellali et Stéphanie Sany Kong

The issue of recognizing and valuing the agri-environmental efforts of farmers has become increasingly prominent in recent years, at least in public discourse. Faced with growing societal expectations and what they perceive as ever-higher standards of exemplary behavior, farmers feel they must bear the sole responsibility for the negative externalities of agricultural production. To address this perception, the Sustainable Agriculture Plan (PAD) has focused on creating a compensation program designed to remunerate farmers for the agri-environmental efforts they undertake.

Chaînes de valeur durables dans le secteur bioalimentaire québécois

Lota Tamini, Laurence Morin Rivet, Frédérick Clerson-Guicherd et Carine Adegbola

In an open and competitive environment, companies from various Quebec biofood sectors are increasingly collaborating to develop value chains that allow them to adapt more quickly to changing demand, share strategic information, carry out innovation activities, optimize processes, reduce costs, and share risks. Value chains can help structure certain sectors while also giving their members the ability to differentiate their products from those of their competitors.

SCIENTIFIC PAPERS

La Loi RVER a-t-elle augmenté l’épargne des travailleurs au Québec?

David Boisclair, Xavier Dufour-Simard et Pierre-Carl Michaud

Optimal Binary Classification

Rachidi Kotchoni

Data-Driven Learning About Trend Productivity Growth

Eiji Goto, Jan P.A.M. Jacobs et Simon van Norden

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