Western Canadian Winter Wheat provides important habitat for ducks, birds, and other wildlife in Western Canada.
Western Canadian farmers benefit from increased consumer demand for western Canadian winter wheat which also delivers a variety of on-farm benefits, including improved soil health and a sustainable crop option.
The Habitat-Friendly Winter Wheat Ecolabel identifies sustainable products and informs consumers about the positive environmental impacts of their food.
And because pintails choose crop land and stubble to raise their young, the conservation organization became interested in how farming and wildlife can live better together.
They discovered that millions of ducks and geese pass through the Prairie Pothole Region each spring looking for nesting habitat.
This led to the discovery that winter wheat is a great option for farmers that also benefits upland nesting birds.
Studies showed that ducks nesting in winter wheat are 24x more successful that those nesting in spring-sown cereals.
To encourage the use of winter wheat, Cereals Canada, Ducks Unlimited Canada, and Prairie winter wheat grower groups, have created the Habitat-Friendly Winter Wheat Ecolabel Program to help Canadians make informed and sustainable purchase decisions.
