LEKALEAK Project: Diversification of productive orientation in the Basque Country through the local production of vegetable protein for use in the food industry

There is currently a high demand for legume-based ingredients from the food industry. Therefore, the cultural and economic value of grain legumes must be increased, and ways to increase regional production must be investigated to provide better returns for farmers. Local legume production contributes to the sustainable development of agriculture through a number of mechanisms, such as reducing the use of fossil fuels, reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, increasing crop diversity, increasing soil biodiversity, improving soil fertility, and increasing carbon storage, among others.

Around 400 farms in Alava grow legumes or protein crops for dry grain production, meaning that almost 40% of arable crop farms in Alava include legume or protein crops for dry grain production in their crop rotation every three to four years. From a technical perspective, these crops are well adapted to the agroclimatic conditions, their management is adaptable to the current farm scenario, and technical support is provided. The cultivation of legumes and protein crops in Alava is consolidated and sustained by the associated distribution. The main limitation to the development of food crops in Alava is that there is currently only one commercial outlet for the harvest, dry grain, subject to strict quality standards. Therefore, the development of these crops depends on the introduction of new production strategies, that is, the sale of the harvest or its initial processing to other markets that can absorb the harvest of alternative, more versatile qualities.