VIDEO - Legumes, star seeds
On October 18, the second issue of "Transition(s)" was dedicated to food legumes, seeds that are not lacking in advantages, notably that of participating in the acceleration of agricultural and food transitions. Is the industry doing well? How can we support its development in both the global south and the global north? What issues still need to be addressed? Watch the full program, along with a summary of our guests' discussions.
You come across them very regularly on your plates. Beans, peas, lentils, broad beans… These seeds all belong to the large legume family. They are not lacking in assets: rich in protein, they are also a very good source of vitamins and minerals. In addition, they play an essential role in crop rotation: a new study has just demonstrated that they improve the yields of main crops by approximately 20 %.
Global overview of pulses and upcoming harvests
Many players are driving the pulse industry around the world. In France, in Chaserey in the Grand-Est region, La Ferme Parthiot, for example, cultivates them in their great diversity. A pioneer and passionate about the plant world, Guy Parthiot passed on his ethics to his children, Guillaume and Julien, who are developing the business alongside him. An expert in pulses—lentils, Champagne lentils, split green peas, chickpeas, white and red ingots, etc.—the Farm now works with 120 other producers in a sustainable, reasoned, and ecosystem-friendly approach.
Another legume player in France: HaRi&CO. Created in 2014 in Lyon by Emmanuel Brehier and Benoît Plisson, two students from theISARA Lyon, HaRi&CO has successfully brought legumes back into fashion. The company's recipes are now available in catering establishments and in nearly 5,000 stores across France. HaRi&CO has even created its own legume production line in the Drôme region.
Despite a growing sector and consumption across the globe, food legumes are not yet a major component of agricultural systems. In most countries around the world, they represent less than 15 % of the area cultivated with cereals and legumes (FAOStat, 2020). However, on a global scale, "This culture is truly strategic on an economic and environmental level," explains Aymen Frija, economist and researcher at ICARDA in Tunisia.
Due to global warming, the impact of a pest (the weevil) and the crisis on prices and inputs, global production of legumes is expected to fall by 20% in 2022. France is no exception to this observation.. "Last summer's drought really hurt yields.", confirms Guillaume Parthiot, producer and co-manager of Ferme Parthiot, who also underlines that "The profitability level of legumes is just sufficient to put them into production.".
Legumes, an accelerator of transitions?
The benefits of legumes are well established. A low-cost source of protein, especially in southern countries, they are particularly important for populations with low purchasing power. “This balance between grains and legumes is found in all traditional vegetarian cuisines around the world. Lentil dhal, a mixture of red lentils and rice, is a perfect example,” explains Emmanuel Brehier, co-founder of HaRi&CO. Diversity on the plate is also found in cropping systems, which has a positive impact on agriculture, on biodiversity, soils, water and also farmers' incomes.
Legumes do indeed have a real agronomic interest "since these are plants that are capable of fixing atmospheric nitrogen, which saves farmers from having to add mineral and chemical nitrogen fertilizers to their crop rotations. Given the current market and fertilizer prices, this is a significant advantage.", explains Guillaume Parthiot. He also emphasizes that legumes are a good source of crop diversification to break the cycles of diseases, pests and weeds.
Another virtuous duo is that between legume production and livestock farming. "In southern countries, mixed "crop-livestock" systems are very important for the development of the local economy.", confirms Aymen Frija.
Cooperate to develop better
These productions are at the heart of the transformations of our agriculture and our food. They are also real vectors of international cooperation. This seems essential when we talk about varietal research, an area "suffering in France for several decades", says Guillaume Parthiot. "This sector is of less interest to French seed companies, whereas in Canada, for example, research allows the emergence of nearly 20 new varieties per year."
Shiv Kumar Agarwal, an Indian researcher at ICARDA, believes that increased cooperation between northern and southern countries will improve global pulse production. "ICARDA has developed a number of genetic and agronomic solutions around the discovery, deployment and development of climate-smart germplasm of chickpea, lentil, faba bean and pea. These varieties are resistant to biotic and abiotic stresses. The "European Union-IFAD" project, which was set up a few years ago, has made it possible to deploy these news smart varieties in the farmers' fields."
It is therefore particularly important today to create spaces for discussion and co-construction of solutions, between North and South but also between the public and private sectors. This is essential for the legume sector. The challenges and solutions must be shared as widely as possible.
