Pulses promote soil fertility and are one of the staple foods for humans, reason enough to cultivate forgotten species such as lentils and broad beans as well as new varieties in Luxembourg.

In the “LEGU-WSK” project funded by the Ministry of Agriculture, the “Institut fir Biologesch Landwirtschaft an Agrarökologie Luxemburg” (IBLA) is currently monitoring the cultivation of chickpeas (4 ha), broad beans (2 ha) and lentils (8 ha) on eight certified organic farms and five conventional farms, some of which are in the process of converting to organic farming.

Benefits for agriculture and the climate

“Pulses offer farmers the opportunity to expand their crop rotation,” explains IBLA project manager Philip Barth. “As the plants bind atmospheric nitrogen in the soil with the help of nodule bacteria, they do not require any additional fertiliser.” The flowering plants provide a habitat for flower-visiting insects and thus promote biodiversity. “In principle, pulses enable agriculture to adapt to climate change because they require little water,” says Philip Barth. “However, it must be determined how the crops react to heavy weather events such as late summer rains.”

Changing eating habits

Many people are opting for a meat-reduced diet, in which case pulses are indispensable as an alternative source of protein. Currently, most pulses are imported from Canada or Turkey, and less frequently from France, Italy or Austria. “By buying a Luxembourg product, consumers can reduce their ecological footprint and actively protect domestic agriculture,” says Philip Barth. “In addition, cultivation in Luxembourg guarantees compliance with the highest quality standards; pulses from non-EU countries in particular are often contaminated with pesticide residues.”

From the bean to the product

The “LEGU-WSK” project aims to promote a value chain for pulses for human consumption. Systems for drying the harvested crop are still relatively widespread in Luxembourg. “But advanced cleaning technology such as colour separators is completely lacking,” explains Philip Barth. “However, such technology is necessary to prevent physical contamination of the end product and thus ensure safe consumption. The closest processing plant is located near Mannheim, which means that a great deal of logistical effort and costs are involved in bundling the harvest from Luxembourg and having it processed while maintaining traceability. In addition, it is not possible to package the cleaned product into standard commercial units (e.g. 500 g lentils) within Luxembourg.” These are all points that are being worked on as part of the project together with stakeholders from the retail and processing sectors.