About Us

Agri-Food Economic Systems is an independent economic research organization dedicated to agriculture and food. High quality economic research that will help develop a better, more competitive, more sustainable, and more profitable agri-food sector is our passion and our commitment.

We envision a Canadian agri-food system which:

Profitably competes at home and abroad on the strength of its efficiency, and its attention to consumer preferences
Can readily attract capital investment for profitable enterprises
Attracts desired levels of talented people as their first choice of career
Maintains the resilience of biological systems that support it

We conduct independent commisioned research, and self-motivated research intended to spur discussion and frame the policy debate.

Statement on artificial intelligence: All work conducted by Agri-Food Economic Systems is original. Artificial intelligence is not used in any of our writing and research work.

Our People

Ted Bilyea, Associate

Susan Wood Bohm, Associate

Al Mussell

Al Mussell is the Research Lead, and founder, of Agri-Food Economic Systems, Inc. His areas of research expertise are farm management, agricultural marketing, and agricultural policy. For fifteen years, Al served as Senior Research Associate at the George Morris Centre. Prior to that Al worked as an economist in the milk procurement division of Land O’Lakes, Inc. in Minnesota.

Al holds Bachelors and Master of Science degrees in agricultural economics from the University of Guelph, and a Doctorate in agricultural economics from the University of Minnesota, where he was a Fulbright Scholar. He is a past President of the Canadian Agricultural Economics Society, the scholarly society for agricultural economics in Canada, a past director of the Progressive Dairy Operators, a dairy industry educational organization, and an alumnus of the US State Department International Visitor Leadership Program.

Email: al@agrifoodecon.ca

Claudia Schmidt

Claudia Schmidt, Senior Research Associate

Claudia is a Senior Research Associate at Agri-Food Economic Systems. Prior to joining Agri-Food Economic Systems, Claudia was the Research Economist at the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre. She has also served as Senior Research Associate at the George Morris Centre, where she headed the research pillar “Economics of Food, Health and Sustainability”. Claudia brings experience of working with academia, producer organizations and the private sector across a wide range of agricultural commodities. She holds PhD and Masters degrees from the Department of Food, Agricultural, and Resource Economics at the University of Guelph, where she is currently an Adjunct Professor.

Email: claudia@agrifoodecon.ca

Kevin Grier

Kevin is the principal at Kevin Grier Market Analysis and Consulting, and an Associate at Agri-Food Economic Systems. He is a respected market analyst and editor with over twenty five years of experience in research and analysis of the Canadian agriculture and food industry.

Reports and periodicals authored by Kevin Grier are used and depended upon by the most successful companies and farms in the Canadian grocery and meat sectors. Kevin conducts market analysis research for his clients, and advises senior managers in various industries on pricing and marketing issues.

He also provides market and industry outlooks in the cattle, hog, chicken and grocery industries through a series of subscription publications. For seventeen years Kevin served as Senior Market Analyst at the George Morris Centre. Prior to joining the George Morris Centre, Kevin was a manager at the Ontario Farm Products Marketing Commission.

Darryl Robinson

Darryl Robinson is the President of Anush Recovery Inc. and an Associate at Agri-Food Economic Systems. Darryl is an expert in bio-materials handling and in the commercial conversion of raw agricultural products. He has 25 years experience in agribusiness, including having served in senior leadership roles at Rothsay, Gencor Foods, Niagara Country Fresh Poultry, King Cole Ducks, and Premier Express Lines.

Darryl brings a combined strategic and operating manager’s perspective to areas such as feed manufacturing, rendering, waste disposal, transportation logistics, and food processing. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Economics from McGill University and a Canadian Securities designation.

Douglas Hedley

Douglas Hedley is an Associate at Agri-Food Economic Systems, following many years in the Canadian Public Service in Agriculture and Agri-food Canada. His last position was as Assistant Deputy Minister, programs Branch in AAFC. He has also worked in several countries around the world, USA, South America, Africa and South East Asia with The Rockefeller Foundation and Winrock International, and more recently in Ukraine.

Douglas played a central role in Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada throughout the development of farm income stabilization and risk management programs over many years. As well, he worked closely with provinces and industry groups to develop the Agricultural Policy Framework. Dr. Hedley is a past President of the International Association of Agricultural Economists and is a Fellow of the Canadian Agricultural Economics Society. Douglas was inducted into the Canadian Agricultural Hall of Fame in 2020.

He holds Masters and Ph.D degrees in agricultural economics from Michigan State University and a Bachelor’s degree in agricultural economics and business administration from the University of Guelph.

Ted Bilyea

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Ted Bilyea retired in 2005 as Executive Vice-President, Maple Leaf Foods Inc., having spent a very successful 35 years with the same company. Prior to becoming Executive Vice President of the parent company, Maple Leaf Foods Inc., Mr. Bilyea held the position of President of Maple Leaf Foods International, from 1995 to 2004. Mr. Bilyea is an Agri-food consultant specializing in innovation with clients in both private and public sector, and an Associate with Agri-Food Economic Systems.

Mr. Bilyea holds a B.A. (Hons.) and an M.A. in International Relations from York University. He is a recent inductee into the Canadian Agricultural Hall of Fame (2018) and is the past recipient of the H.R. MacMillan Laureate in Agriculture from the University of Guelph. He is a member of the board of Paterson Global Foods Inc., and has served as past Chair, special advisor, and Chief Strategy Officer of the Canadian Agri-food Policy Institute. Previously he has served on a number of other boards including B.H.G. International Trade Inc., Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency, PrioNet Canada, the University of Guelph Board of Governors, and has chaired the Food Processors of Canada as well as the Metals in the Human Environment NCE.