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The Food Issue
2017
Grains
West
40
NEW CAMPAIGN OFFERS SIMPLE TRUTHS ON WELL-ROUNDED WHEAT
BY GEOFF GEDDES
I
n our high-tech, fast-paced
world, many are convinced that
the more complex the concept,
the better it must be. That’s why
a new campaign from the Alber-
ta Wheat Commission (AWC) is
like a breath of fresh air on a crisp
Prairie morning. Sporting the tag-
line “life’s simple ingredient,” the
campaign encourages consumers
to feel good about eating wheat.
While wheat itself may be a
simple ingredient, cooking up
the campaign was a bit more in-
volved.
“We saw the growing farm-to-
table movement as an opportu-
nity to be a champion for wheat,”
said Tom Steve, general manager
of AWC. “As a farmer-led organ-
ization, our first major task was
to learn more about connecting
with Alberta’s urban public. This
process led us to a key observa-
tion: wheat is highly respected
and people appreciate its many
benefits, not to mention its great
taste.”
Though the public rates wheat
and wheat farmers as the most
trusted area of production agri-
culture, wheat sales have been
challenged by food trends, such
as gluten-free. It was against
this backdrop that a campaign
emerged to cut through the clut-
ter and share some simple truths
about a grain that has served as
a staple of healthy diets for thou-
sands of years.
A SIMPLER TIME
Ever since Lord Selkirk harvested
the first wheat crop on the Ca-
nadian Prairies back in 1815, con-
sumers have viewed the grain as
closely tied with Alberta’s history
and a reflection of farm values
and traditions. Globally, wheat has
sustained families for centuries
and accounts for 20 per cent of
the world’s food calories. In many
respects, wheat is ingrained in our
culture and our way of life.
A SIMPLE MESSAGE
In creating the campaign, AWC
gathered information on people’s
perceptions of wheat and found
three qualities that were cited
consistently: healthy, wholesome
and nutritious. If there’s a com-
mon theme, it could be the peace
of mind that flows from serving
yourself and your family food that
is rich in fibre, vitamins, minerals
and antioxidants.
Also highly valued in AWC’s
surveys was the versatility of