When a Canadian farmer sits across from a miller in Colombia, Japan or Morocco to explain how they manage grain quality from seeding to harvest and storage, it changes the conversation. Last fall, farmers from Alberta Grains, Grain Farmers of Ontario, Manitoba Crop Alliance and SaskWheat travelled to core wheat markets to talk about their production practices. They put a face on the Canadian wheat brand and built the trust that keeps buyers coming back.

Canada is a strong international competitor in durum marketing. Over the past five years, it has exported more than 23 million tonnes. The country’s approach is straightforward: Winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing. Market dominance is not easy to maintain given factors such as new Russian and Turkish production.