Features Associations Business/Policy Canada Protection
Conservation group supports Alberta beef industry

Hot on the trail of its work with the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) and Alberta Beef Producers (ABP) are teaming up to demonstrate their commitment to sustainable beef production and to advance wetland and grassland conservation.

For decades, Canadian cattle producers have made conservation part of their operations, and presently, these efforts to conserve wetlands and grasslands are setting new standards for beef sustainability on working landscapes. This scenario places DUC and ABP in a unique position where they will work together to implement varying tactics that result in positive contributions towards issues relating to climate change, environmental protection, consumer demands and global markets. It’s a perfect fit.

“As a leader in wetland conservation, Ducks Unlimited Canada is in a unique position to recognize the steps that the beef industry has taken to be a leader in sustainability,” says Mickenzie Plemel-Stronks, DUC’s cattle industry liaison. “We also recognize the industry’s commitment to science and its effort to be solution based. With that in mind, our conservation programs are a great toolto help beef producers address specific needs on their farms, while playing a key role in maintaining the land and its natural areas.”

Tom Lynch-Staunton, ABP’s government relations and policy manager agrees. “Cattle producers have always been environmental stewards. We appreciate the recognition and support from DUC and look forward to further collaboration on the importance of grazing for optimal wetland and rangeland health and conversation. Grasslands are fundamental to cattle production and this partnership plays an important role in preserving our natural habitat.”

Partnering with those who produce food, including cattle ranchers, has been central to DUC’s mission since 1938. In those early years, DUC’s founders worked alongside farmers and ranchers as extreme drought devastated much of the country. They banded together to put water back on the land, not only to support the crops and animals under their care, but also to safeguard these natural areas and the many benefits they provide. Today DUC continues to support farmers and ranchers with programs that help provide grasslands for livestock by offering incentives to landowners for converting cultivated land back into perennial cover.

During the next three years, ABP and DUC will engage in several events and public awareness campaigns that will also help Albertans gain a better understanding of how cattle and conservation work together to support sustainable agriculture practices, the environment, and food security.