Canada's cattle ranchers project new image as grassland protectors to counter beef's bad rap

Inside an agricultural exhibition building at the Calgary Stampede, kids practise rotating cattle through different areas of pasture, earning "carbon points" as they go if they can avoid under- or overgrazing the land.

They're playing Guardians of the Grasslands, a computer game that was produced with funding from a government grant program, the charitable arm of the Canadian Cattle Association (CCA) and Ducks Unlimited Canada, which conserves and restores wetlands. The game is based on a short documentary of the same name that was produced by the CCA, the Nature Conservancy of Canada and Ducks Unlimited.

Both the game and the documentary are part of the industry's broader goal to push back against beef's bad rap and to instead promote the idea that cattle grazing can be good for the environment — a way of preserving native grasslands (which can, in turn, act as a carbon sink).

"Sometimes what you thought was the problem is really the solution," the documentary's tagline reads.

According to Environment and Climate Change Canada, agriculture is responsible for 30 per cent of Canada's total methane emissions — and 71 per cent of that is attributed to beef production.

Improving the industry's environmental reputation could be an uphill battle, as concerns mount about the impact of methane emissions, and popular science articles frequently tout reducing beef consumption as a simple way to cut one's carbon footprint.

But ranchers say sustainability is a long-standing priority for them — something that has become more important as consumers become further removed from the process of food production and more concerned about the impact of the food they eat.

"It's just something that I think has risen to the top of the conversation with the rest of the society," said Ryder Lee, general manager of the Canadian Cattle Association. "Instead of being busy ranching, we have to answer that call."

While beef demand remains strong, the industry is well aware of the criticism around the carbon intensity of producing beef and is ramping up its public relations campaign to win the hearts and wallets of Canadians.

Whether that message resonates with consumers remains an open question that could have high stakes for the roughly $22-billion industry. 

The Guardians of the Grasslands film says beef cattle can be positive for the ecosystem, as cows have taken on the role that bison historically played in grazing the prairie grasslands and maintaining their equilibrium.

"With 74 per cent of Canada's native grasslands now lost forever, preserving what's left is critical," the documentary says.

The computer game version, which is intended to be played after viewing the documentary, was launched in the spring.

"We've had beef industry resources before, but nothing that was gamified," said Amie Peck, the CCA's stakeholder engagement manager. "We're really hoping that that's of interest to teachers."