North American Grazing Lands Congress shows international leaders the role of Canadian grasslands in food security, biodiversity, and climate resilience.
Ranchers, conservation organizations, social media content creators, and industry leaders joined federal government representatives and a delegation from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, including the Director General, on a ranch tour in southern Alberta this July. The event celebrated the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP). It offered guests from around the world the chance to see modern day pastoralism alive and well in Canada.
Hosted by Public and Stakeholder Engagement, a division of the Canadian Cattle Association (CCA), the southern Alberta tour was the first leg of the North American Grazing Lands Congress (NAGLC). The second portion was hosted in Utah by the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef. Both tours brought participants onto the landscape to see firsthand how ranchers are preserving ecosystems that support food production, wildlife habitat, biodiversity, carbon sequestration, and rural communities. Sponsorship for the event was provided by Cargill, the Canadian Cattle Foundation, the Canadian Forage and Grasslands Association, and the Western Stock Growers Association.
Participants observed the cultural significance of grasslands to both Indigenous communities and ranching families in the area.
Photo credit: Public and Stakeholder Engagement
The tour began at UNESCO World Heritage Site Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump. Attendees learned about the evolution of North American grasslands with bison as a keystone grazing species and Indigenous peoples as stewards of the land. The tour then took guests to the South Porcupine Ranch, run by Bill and Nancy Newton and family, and the Waldron Ranch Grazing Co-operative, demonstrating both traditional principles and innovative techniques to care for grazing lands to ensure they are healthy and thriving.
Participants observed the cultural significance of grasslands to both Indigenous communities and ranching families in the area. Guests saw how grazing management has improved grassland health. They witnessed its benefits to biodiversity firsthand, seeing countless plant species and even spotting wildlife. Discussions also highlighted the increasing pressures threatening ranchers, including fluctuating economic and weather patterns and conversion of grassland ecosystems to other uses with higher financial incentives.
Raising awareness
The NAGLC is part of a series of events that Public and Stakeholder Engagement is hosting across Canada. These events aim to raise awareness of the importance of beef producers in Canada as vital stewards of grassland ecosystems during IYRP. Public and Stakeholder Engagement included event invites for social media influencers and media to help expand the reach of the messaging. A press release covering the tour has been picked up by 214 newspapers, online news sites, and other outlets, with a potential audience of 49.8 million.
“Canadian beef cattle farmers and ranchers are critical to preserving grassland ecosystems that house numerous species at risk, capture carbon, and support the production of high-quality protein in the form of beef,” said Tyler Fulton, President of the CCA. “The International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists reminds us that Canada’s beef producers are fulfilling a cultural, economic, and environmental role that these landscapes and our communities were built upon.”
“Ranchers have been long-term caretakers for grazing lands in North America,” said Dr. Samantha Werth, Executive Director of the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef.
“Preserving these ecosystems and producing protein for our growing population offer a service to society that should be recognized and supported.”
The United Nations General Assembly declared IYRP to raise awareness of the economic, environmental, and social importance of rangelands and the people who steward them. In Canada, the initiative serves as a platform to educate the public, celebrate stewardship successes, and advance policies that support both ranchers and the landscapes they manage.
The event concluded with a call for continued collaboration among producers, governments, Indigenous communities, conservation organizations, and the public. This collaboration is essential to ensure North American beef producers are recognized and supported to continue preserving healthy, productive, and resilient grazing lands for future generations.
The Public and Stakeholder Engagement (PSE) operates as a division of the Canadian Cattle Association (CCA) but is funded by the Canadian Beef Cattle Check-Off. PSE aims to deal with consumer-facing issues related to beef production in Canada and maintain public trust in the Canadian beef industry.
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