Legumes

A person is holding a sack of beans

© Justice - stock.adobe.com
Studies & Numbers

EU-Funded Research Explores Sustainable Protein Alternatives for European Agriculture

A recent EU-funded study, part of the Horizon Programme, showcases efforts to diversify protein sources and reduce the environmental impact of food production. The research focuses on plant-based proteins, legumes, and innovative food products as part of a wider strategy to address the environmental burden of animal farming, which is responsible for a significant portion of global greenhouse gas emissions. Farm trials show agronomic benefits of legumes On her organic dairy farm in southeast Ireland, Marianne Mulhall has seen firsthand the benefits of crop rotation involving legumes like peas and beans. This method helps capture nitrogen from the atmosphere, reducing the need for synthetic fertilizers, which have become increasingly expensive. “This is good for farmers, as fertilizer prices have gone through the roof in recent …

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child of color, school cafeteria, food security, social justice, impossible foods, Colin Kaepernick, Know Your Rights Camp

©New Africa-stock.adobe.com
Health

New USDA Rules Expand Vegan Options in School Meals

USDA’s new school meal standards will give greater access to nutritious foods for vegetarian and vegan children and those with dietary restrictions. This is an important step, as research indicates that school meals are American schoolchildren’s most important food source. The new rules, which took effect on July 1, 2024, were released by USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) consistent with the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. They aim to improve the nutritional quality of school meals and other USDA Child Nutrition Programs. Beans, peas, and lentils Under the new rules, schools can combine grains, meats, and meat alternatives as meal components. Beans, peas, and lentils can replace meat at lunch, and cafeterias can offer dishes such as black bean burgers stir-fried with tofu, falafel …

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Study aims to boost legume crop yields in Italy

© LEG-ITA
Agriculture / Agribusiness

Study Aims to Boost Legume Crop Yields in Italy, Improving Plant Protein Self-Sufficiency

According to LEG-ITA, a project working to increase legume crop yields in Italy, less than 5% of European utilised agricultural area is devoted to grain legumes. Consequently, European self-sufficiency in plant proteins is poor, with the region relying mainly on imported soybeans. To address this, a two-year LEG-ITA study conducted in partnership with the Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies aims to identify key factors influencing the yield stability of grain legumes. Low yield stability is one of the most prominent reasons why farmers prefer other crops, and solving this issue could incentivise more growers to choose legumes. In turn, this could play an important role in improving the sustainability of the food system. The researchers will collect data on growing conditions for grain legumes, cultural …

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ALEHOOP produces proteins from seaweed and legume byproducts

© ALEHOOP
Algae, Microalgae & Seaweed

European Project Uses Biorefineries to Extract Proteins From Seaweed & Legume Byproducts

ALEHOOP, a European project funded by Sustainable Bio-Based Europe, has successfully used pilot-scale biorefineries to recover sustainable proteins from macroalgae (seaweed) and legume byproducts. The recovered proteins could be used to produce high-value food and feed products, including meat alternatives, snacks, and sports drinks. The project has conducted numerous safety tests to ensure that the proteins address any regulatory requirements and market barriers. Consistently high-quality Seaweed is a highly sustainable protein source as it requires no additional land or freshwater to grow and can benefit marine ecosystems. Meanwhile, legume processing generates byproducts such as seed coats, hulls, broken seeds, and leaves, which would normally be discarded; proteins made from these byproducts therefore have a very low carbon footprint. One challenge faced by the ALEHOOP project …

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Legume Generation

© IPK Leibniz Institute J. Himpe
Agriculture / Agribusiness

Legume Generation: Working to Reduce the Protein Gap in Europe

According to agricultural experts, Europe needs better legumes so that farmers can meet the demand for plant protein and support a protein transition. Against this background, 50 scientists and plant breeders recently met at the Leibniz Institute for Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK) in Gatersleben, Germany. They are members of the Legume Generation consortium, which recently received €7 million in funding from the European Union and the United Kingdom. The total value of the new project is 8.6 million euros. The aim of the Legume Generation project, which runs from September 2023 to February 2028, is to reduce the European protein deficit by promoting the breeding of legumes that will make European agriculture more productive and profitable. The consortium is led by Dr. …

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Havredals' fava beans

© Havredals

Health

The BeanMan Study in Finland Examines Effects on Male Health of Legume Protein Compared to Meat

A study conducted at the University of Helsinki showed that partial replacement of red and processed meat with foods based on peas and broad beans (also known as faba or fava beans) ensures an adequate intake of amino acids in the diet and does not negatively affect bone metabolism. “Reducing the consumption of red and processed meat in the diet to the ceiling of the Planetary Health Diet while increasing the consumption of legumes grown in Finland, such as peas and field beans, is safe from a protein nutrition perspective. Bone health is also not affected by such dietary changes,” says PhD student Suvi Itkonen from the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry. For the BeanMan study, 102 Finnish men followed a study diet for six …

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Beans is How campaign

©Beans is How
Charity & Campaigns

Google & the Bezos Earth Fund Want the World to Eat Twice as Many Beans

Over 40 organizations, including Google, the Bezos Earth Fund, and ProVeg International, have joined forces for a new campaign called Beans is How. Google and the Bezos Earth Fund are on the campaign’s “Bean Board”, helping to determine the steps that need to be taken, while ProVeg is raising awareness to help achieve the goals. Other organizations involved include The World Bean Council, the United Nations Foundation, and the Kraft Heinz Company. The campaign will work to double legume consumption worldwide by 2028 in an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Beans release 90% fewer harmful gases than some animal-based foods. They are also a rich source of protein, vitamins, and minerals, and are extremely affordable. This makes them an excellent alternative to meat, and …

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A variety of pulses

Image courtesy ProVeg International
Fairs & Events

ILS Launches 4th International Conference to Share Scientific Knowledge on Legumes

International Legume Society (ILS), a global hub of information and exchange on legume research and exploitation, announces the 4th International Legume Society Conference. The event, which aims to promote legumes as sustainable and healthier food and feed, will gather researchers and stakeholders for knowledge exchange on the cultivation and use of grain and forage legumes. This year’s conference will take place in Granda, Spain, from the 19th to the 22nd of September, 2023. It follows previous knowledge encounters held in Novi Sad (2013), Tróia (2016), and Poznań (2019). Last year, the ISL launched a series of public webinars on topics related to legume cultivation and improvement. Legume experts The event is organized in collaboration with the University of Granada, the Health Science Technological Park, and the presence of …

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A range of different legumes

© Equinom
Market & Trends

Philippines to Import More Legumes as Consumers Turn to Plant-Based Diets

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has predicted that the Philippines will import more legumes in the coming years, as diets in the country become increasingly plant-based. In a report, the USDA said the Philippines was expected to increase its imports of leguminous vegetables by 5-7% per year for the next five years. It added that legume imports have already risen by 48% in the past five years, reaching a value of $88 million in 2022. Mung beans are by far the most significant type, accounting for 90% of the 111,000 MT of pulses brought in. A growing trend towards plant-based foods has been credited for the rise in legume imports, along with the increasing cost of animal protein and a greater reliance on imported …

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Pulses - Beans Peas and Lentils

© Pulse Canada
Agriculture / Agribusiness

International Legume Society to Host Series of Public Webinars

The International Legume Society has announced a series of public webinars on topics related to legume cultivation and improvement. The webinars will take place on Microsoft Teams on a monthly basis, usually on the first Tuesday of the month. The full list is as follows: Christian Huyghe (INRAE, France) – Perspectives, opportunities, challenges and burning research issues for legume crops in Europe – Sep. 6, 2022, 4 pm CET Petr Smykal (Palacky Univ., Olomouc, Czech Republic) – Domestication history of crop grain legumes – Oct. 4, 2022, 4 pm CET Julia Buitink (INRAE, France) – Improving the seed vigour of legumes – Nov. 8, 2022, 4 pm CET Michael Nickerson (Univ. of Saskatchewan, Canada) – Pulse protein functionality, nutritional quality and utilization in the food …

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Beans Willicroft

©Willicroft
Agriculture / Agribusiness

Willicroft Sows First White Beans in Renegenerative Farming Project, Preparing For 2023 Upscale

Willicroft, the Netherlands brand which became the first plant-based cheese B Corp this March, reveals to vegconomist it has sown its first white beans — the staple ingredient in the brand’s cheese recipes — as it prepares to upscale in 2023. Two years ago, Willicroft became aware of the extremely high emissions of cashews — the previous main ingredient — through an initial lifecycle assessment. The team set about looking for alternative ingredients that could tackle a multitude of factors – lower emissions, similar nutritional profile, neutral colour and flavour to name a few. Most importantly, this new base ingredient needed to be grown within or close to its consumer base in the Netherlands. Two weeks ago, the first seeds of white beans were sown …

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Gerber Plant-tastic Plant-Protein Baby Food

©Gerber
Food & Beverage

Gerber Launches Plant-Tastic – Its First Line of Organic, Plant Protein Toddler Foods

Gerber, a leader in infant and early childhood nutrition, announces the debut of Plant-tastic – the brand’s first full range of organic plant-based toddler foods. Created to offer a richer source of plant protein, the Plant-tastic line features pouches, snacks and meals made with nutrient-dense beans, whole grains and veggies. The products can be purchased online through Amazon, Walmart and other retailers.  According to Gerber, a new generation of parents is seeking to incorporate more plant-based foods into their diet, with research by FMI showing 81% of households with children are now including plant-based protein in their meals. In addition, the latest US Dietary Guidelines now recommend legumes as part of a healthy diet for children 2 and under. Plant-tastic can help parents follow these …

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Ingredion

© Ingredion
Company News

Ingredion Opens Saskatchewan Facility in Response to “Unparalleled” Growth

Ingredion Inc. has opened a new manufacturing facility in Vanscoy, Saskatchewan, for the production of plant proteins from peas, lentils, and fava beans to help supply the industry with ingredients and meet the growing demand. Jorgen Kokke, Ingredion’s executive vice president and president, Americas, stated: “The plant-based food industry is experiencing unparalleled growth and we are excited about this expansion, which will accelerate the production and accessibility of plant-based ingredients to meet the needs of our customers.” “Ingredion’s innovation team has worked hard to develop a new processing technology that will highly differentiate our products,” commented Matthew Bennett, global director of strategic marketing, in a press release. “We are thrilled to share this new capability with our customers to help them captivate consumers and pets …

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Buhler

Johannes Wick, CEO Grains & Food at Bühler, and Dr Antonio Fernández, Chairman of the Board of Hosokawa Alpine, at the signing of the cooperation agreement © Bühler AG
Company News

Bühler and Hosokawa Alpine Announce Collaboration For Sustainable Proteins

Switzerland’s Bühler Group and Germany’s Hosokawa Alpine Group have agreed a strategic collaboration that will accelerate and strengthen the production of healthier and more sustainable plant protein solutions with a focus on processing pulses into protein ingredients. In this partnership, Bühler is to offer solutions for handling, cleaning, dehulling and milling pulses, followed by further food processing with its extrusion technology, which texturises vegetable proteins into products with a fibrous, meat-like texture. Hosokawa Alpine offers leading technology for dry separation of protein from pulses: Fine Grinding and Wind Sifting. “With this collaboration, we can address customer needs from harvest to final product. Our integrated and collaborative partnership ensures a seamless experience for our customers. This starts with our application centres in Uzwil, Switzerland, and the …

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Life3 Biotech

©Life3 Biotech
Society

Life3 Biotech Announces Agri-Food Pilot Facility For “Veego” – Singapore’s First Plant-Based Protein

Following our report revealing Singapore to be a newly emerging epicentre for foodtech in Asia, foodtech startup Life3 Biotech has just announced Singapore’s first integrated agri-food pilot facility, to produce 1,200 to 1,800 tonnes annually of an alternative protein source called Veego, made of legumes, grains and mushrooms.

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Prolupin

© Prolupin GmbH
Company News

Prolupin – Rising Star on the Road to Success

Prolupin produces plantbased products from the lupin bean as an alternative to soy, rice, almonds and coconut. The bean is similar in makeup to milk protein and as such is well suited for the production of milk product alternatives such as yogurt and ice cream. Here we are pleased to feature an end of year guest post from Prolupin about their successful product line, MADE WITH LUVE.

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