Introducing the new habitat-friendly winter wheat ecolabel

The Alberta Wheat Commission has partnered with Cereals Canada to develop a new ecolabel in cooperation with western winter wheat commissions, conservation organizations, millers, and food processors. The ecolabel highlights the ecological benefits of winter wheat to consumers and creates new marketing opportunities that increase demand for winter wheat as a result.

Habitat-Friendly Winter Wheat promotes western Canadian winter wheat while also sharing the environmental benefits that are inherent in this crop. It is an innovative approach to market development that taps into growing consumer demand for sustainable products. It also represents an opportunity to communicate agriculture’s positive contributions to the environment.

Through this program, we’re sharing with consumers what winter wheat farmers have always known. Besides reducing the need for equipment in the fields in the spring and taking advantage of the moisture in snow melt, growing western Canadian winter wheat allows upland nesting birds to exist undisturbed through spring and early summer. In fact, studies show that ducks nesting in winter wheat fields are 24 times more successful than those nesting in spring-sown fields.

The Habitat-Friendly Winter Wheat program leverages these unique environmental benefits to unlock new opportunities for farmers, driven by stronger communication with customers. By telling winter wheat’s environmental story, farmers can gain higher value markets, processors can differentiate and add value, and consumers can feel good knowing their purchase is made with Habitat-Friendly Winter Wheat.

Thanks to engagement by western winter wheat commissions and Cereals Canada, the ecolabel program has been designed with farmers in mind. Farmers can participate in the program simply by growing western Canadian winter wheat and delivering it to a certified processor or end- user. Grain handlers, mills, and food manufacturers can become certified through an application and audit to confirm they can appropriately document grain segregation and track flour blending to meet the required minimum 30 per cent of winter wheat for certified flour.

One of the first Habit-Friendly Winter Wheat-certified businesses is Les Moulins de Soulanges, a specialty flour manufacturer based in Quebec’s Monte?re?gie region, selling to bakers across North America. Chafik Baghdadi, R&D/QA director at Les Moulins de Soulanges says, “Customers are looking for more transparency and want to know where their flour comes from. I believe the Habitat-Friendly Winter Wheat Ecolabel will emphasize the attributes and meet growing consumer demand for sustainable products.”

Bread and flour are obvious products that could be certified, but truly any food product that uses wheat is eligible. For example, Beam Suntory, a world leader in premium spirits, found a fit with this program through its Northern Keep Vodka, a premium craft vodka that puts sustainability and land protection at the forefront.

Nicholas Winters, supply chain manager at Beam Suntory says, “Sustainable winter wheat harvested from farms in Western Canada is a core ingredient in our Northern Keep Vodka. We were aware of the benefits of winter wheat regarding nutrient run off and erosion, but learned from this program about its ecological benefits for nesting habitat. We thought this was a good story to tell and linked with what we are trying to do with Northern Keep Vodka and our sustainability efforts.”

Telling a good news story from the field to store shelves is one of the primary goals behind this ecolabel. “By working together as a value chain to launch this project, we’re not only creating new market development opportunities, but we’re also helping to showcase Canadian agriculture’s sustainability story,” says Daniel Ramage, director of market access and trade policy at Cereals Canada. “The partnerships established through this project demonstrate how shared value can be created when sustainability and business goals converge.”

Consumer research conducted over the last several years of developing the ecolabel revealed that 80 per cent of consumers would buy a product that had the Habitat-Friendly Winter Wheat ecolabel. If you were looking for more reasons to grow winter wheat, growing consumer awareness of its benefits through the Habitat-Friendly Winter Wheat Ecolabel just might translate to growing demand and all the reasons you need.

Learn more about the Habitat-Friendly Winter Wheat program at habitatwheat.ca.