Search

Impact Plan: this Deliverable report (D9.8, D56) is directed by feedback from TRUE’s Stakeholder Advisory Board (SAB, the commercial partners), and also from other multi-actors engaged via the ISAB (Intercontinental Science Advisory Board), and including operatives of the European Legume Innovation Network (or ‘E-LIN’) workshops, existing relevant H2020 research projects, and successful RUR (rural renaissance) projects. This direction will help ensure research complementarity, synergy and science excellence. The aim of this report is to define the best routes to impact. &nbsp

The industrialisation of agri-food systems and the demise of home-grown legumes in Europe P.P.M. Iannetta1,*, ±, B. Balázs2, G. Begg1, M. Debeljak3, K.T. Hamann4, B. Howard5, E. Kelemen2, A. Kolmans6, H. Maaß6, G. Ntatsi7,8, N. Quesada1, F. Tran1, A. Trajanov3, D. Savvas7, S. Shrestha9, D. Styles10, L. Toma9, M.W. Vasconcelos11, R. Vickers5, M. Williams12 and G.R. Squire1 1 Ecological Sciences, James Hutton Institute, Dundee, Scotland, UK 2 Environmental Social Science Research Group, Budapest, Hungary 3 Department of Knowledge Technologies, The Jozef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia 4 Institute for Food Studies & Agroindustrial Development, Hoersholm, Denmark 5 PGRO, The Research Station, Great North Road, Thornhaugh, Peterborough, England, UK 6 Research Centre Global Food Security and Ecosystems, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany 7 Agricultural University of Athens, Department of Crop Science, Athens, Greece 8 Institute of Plant Breeding and Genetic Resources, ELGO-DEMETER, Thermi, Thessaloniki, Greece 9 SRUC, West Mains Road, Edinburgh, EH93JG, Scotland, UK 10 SNS, Bangor University, Bangor, Wales, UK 11 Universidade Católica Portuguesa, CBQF Laboratório Associado, Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Porto, Portugal 12 Department of Botany, School of Natural Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland ∗ Speaker ± Corresponding author: pete.iannetta@hutton.ac.uk 1 Introduction The multiple benefits of well-managed legume-supported agri-food systems are known and include provision of: nutritious feed and food; natural nitrogen cycling; improved soil qualities; lowered greenhouse gas emissions; protection of biodiversity; and good-food culture and literacy. Yet, these benefits are all-but forfeited since the vast majority of the legume grains used in Europe are not home-grown, and only rarely (knowingly), consumed directly by humans. Legume grains are mainly imported in the form of soybean for use as animal feed. Consequently, European farmed systems are characterised by specialised and intensive approaches using crops dependent on synthetic nitrogen fertiliser and pesticide inputs - again mainly routed to meat production. Harmonising of ‘The Three Pillars of Sustainability’ (‘social’, ‘environmental’ and ‘economic’: Passet, 1979), demands that greater functional understanding (Figure 1) is applied and with respect to legumes. Figure 1.(see slide 21) An illustrative model (opposite) which aims to help re-define ‘The Three Pillars of Sustainability’, in functional- or relational-terms, Each www.true-project.eu Work Package (WP) will define indicators of new sub-pillar components. WP8 Transition Design (not shown), is developing a Decision Support System to identify indicators of sustainable function for each pillar individually, and collectively. 2 Materials and methods New insight was gained from knowledge sources, including: 1, the multi-stakeholder European Legume Innovation Network (LIN) workshops (www.true-project.eu/lin-workshops/); 2, the ECs report on, “Market developments and policy evaluation aspects of the plant protein sector in the EU” (https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/food-farming-fisheries/plants_and_plant_products/documents/plant-proteins-study-report_en.pdf); 3, abstracts and outputs made during the European Plant Protein Plan launch (https://ec.europa.eu/info/events/development-plant-proteins-europe-opportunities-and-challenges-2018-nov-22_en); 4, recent articles such as Eyhorn et al., (2019); and 5, the public Deliverable, ‘Coproduction of policy assessment’ (https://www.true-project.eu/publications-resources/deliverables/), published by the EU H2020 funded project TRUE. 3 Results Modern day agri-food systems in Europe are characterised by high input dependency and a low level of environmental and societal safeguarding. However, the rejection of legume-based cropping systems preceded the global trade in grain legumes and the introduction of synthetic nitrogen fertilisers by several decades. This coincided with a period of increasing specialisation and intensification of production units to serve high-throughput processing units which demanded the highest possible yields - which could not be provided by grain legumes. These local market challenges have been exacerbated by current day global trade trends whereby political decisions permit the importation of soya and other legume-based protein products to the EU. These imports are allowed at low rates in exchange for low export-tariff rates on cereals and oilseeds. If sustainable agri-food systems are to be enabled in Europe, effective policies and capacities must recognise these historical, and forfeited socio-ecological contexts. 4 Discussion and Conclusions Consumers are no longer passive recipients in a global protein market and wish to realise more-sustainable consumption. They question the nature of their food, such as its nutritional value, environmental impact of production plus authenticity and provenance. Demitarianism is increasing and specific types of carbohydrate are sought to help offset obesity and diabetes. The diversification of cropping systems and good agronomy will not by themselves realise more-sustainable legume supported food- and feed-chains. Greater cooperation among all supply chain actors is essential to establish a more-effective policy environment to help realise consumers’ desires for access to the most-nutritious of food, affordably, and which is produced in a manner that ensures protection of the environment and biodiversity. Acknowledgments This research is supported by the European Union Horizon-2020 project ‘TRansition paths to sUstainable legume-based systems in Europe’ (TRUE, www.true-project.eu), Grant Agreement 727973; and the Scottish Government’s Strategic Research Programme. The James Hutton Institute (www.hutton.ac.uk) is supported by the Rural & Environment Science & Analytical Services (RESAS), a division of the Scottish Government. References Eyhorn et al., (2019). Sustainability in global agriculture driven by organic farming. Nature Sustainability, 253. Passet, R. (1979).L'économique et le vivant[The economic and the living] 23, Payot. &nbsp

The industrialisation of agri-food systems and the demise of home-grown legumes in Europe P.P.M. Iannetta1,*, ±, B. Balázs2, G. Begg1, M. Debeljak3, K.T. Hamann4, B. Howard5, E. Kelemen2, A. Kolmans6, H. Maaß6, G. Ntatsi7,8, N. Quesada1, F. Tran1, A. Trajanov3, D. Savvas7, S. Shrestha9, D. Styles10, L. Toma9, M.W. Vasconcelos11, R. Vickers5, M. Williams12 and G.R. Squire1 1 Ecological Sciences, James Hutton Institute, Dundee, Scotland, UK 2 Environmental Social Science Research Group, Budapest, Hungary 3 Department of Knowledge Technologies, The Jozef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia 4 Institute for Food Studies & Agroindustrial Development, Hoersholm, Denmark 5 PGRO, The Research Station, Great North Road, Thornhaugh, Peterborough, England, UK 6 Research Centre Global Food Security and Ecosystems, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany 7 Agricultural University of Athens, Department of Crop Science, Athens, Greece 8 Institute of Plant Breeding and Genetic Resources, ELGO-DEMETER, Thermi, Thessaloniki, Greece 9 SRUC, West Mains Road, Edinburgh, EH93JG, Scotland, UK 10 SNS, Bangor University, Bangor, Wales, UK 11 Universidade Católica Portuguesa, CBQF Laboratório Associado, Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Porto, Portugal 12 Department of Botany, School of Natural Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland ∗ Speaker ± Corresponding author: pete.iannetta@hutton.ac.uk 1 Introduction The multiple benefits of well-managed legume-supported agri-food systems are known and include provision of: nutritious feed and food; natural nitrogen cycling; improved soil qualities; lowered greenhouse gas emissions; protection of biodiversity; and good-food culture and literacy. Yet, these benefits are all-but forfeited since the vast majority of the legume grains used in Europe are not home-grown, and only rarely (knowingly), consumed directly by humans. Legume grains are mainly imported in the form of soybean for use as animal feed. Consequently, European farmed systems are characterised by specialised and intensive approaches using crops dependent on synthetic nitrogen fertiliser and pesticide inputs - again mainly routed to meat production. Harmonising of ‘The Three Pillars of Sustainability’ (‘social’, ‘environmental’ and ‘economic’: Passet, 1979), demands that greater functional understanding (Figure 1) is applied and with respect to legumes. Figure 1. (see slide 21) An illustrative model (opposite) which aims to help re-define ‘The Three Pillars of Sustainability’, in functional- or relational-terms, Each www.true-project.eu Work Package (WP) will define indicators of new sub-pillar components. WP8 Transition Design (not shown), is developing a Decision Support System to identify indicators of sustainable function for each pillar individually, and collectively. 2 Materials and methods New insight was gained from knowledge sources, including: 1, the multi-stakeholder European Legume Innovation Network (LIN) workshops (www.true-project.eu/lin-workshops/); 2, the ECs report on, “Market developments and policy evaluation aspects of the plant protein sector in the EU” (https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/food-farming-fisheries/plants_and_plant_products/documents/plant-proteins-study-report_en.pdf); 3, abstracts and outputs made during the European Plant Protein Plan launch (https://ec.europa.eu/info/events/development-plant-proteins-europe-opportunities-and-challenges-2018-nov-22_en); 4, recent articles such as Eyhorn et al., (2019); and 5, the public Deliverable, ‘Coproduction of policy assessment’ (https://www.true-project.eu/publications-resources/deliverables/), published by the EU H2020 funded project TRUE. 3 Results Modern day agri-food systems in Europe are characterised by high input dependency and a low level of environmental and societal safeguarding. However, the rejection of legume-based cropping systems preceded the global trade in grain legumes and the introduction of synthetic nitrogen fertilisers by several decades. This coincided with a period of increasing specialisation and intensification of production units to serve high-throughput processing units which demanded the highest possible yields - which could not be provided by grain legumes. These local market challenges have been exacerbated by current day global trade trends whereby political decisions permit the importation of soya and other legume-based protein products to the EU. These imports are allowed at low rates in exchange for low export-tariff rates on cereals and oilseeds. If sustainable agri-food systems are to be enabled in Europe, effective policies and capacities must recognise these historical, and forfeited socio-ecological contexts. 4 Discussion and Conclusions Consumers are no longer passive recipients in a global protein market and wish to realise more-sustainable consumption. They question the nature of their food, such as its nutritional value, environmental impact of production plus authenticity and provenance. Demitarianism is increasing and specific types of carbohydrate are sought to help offset obesity and diabetes. The diversification of cropping systems and good agronomy will not by themselves realise more-sustainable legume supported food- and feed-chains. Greater cooperation among all supply chain actors is essential to establish a more-effective policy environment to help realise consumers’ desires for access to the most-nutritious of food, affordably, and which is produced in a manner that ensures protection of the environment and biodiversity. Acknowledgments This research is supported by the European Union Horizon-2020 project ‘TRansition paths to sUstainable legume-based systems in Europe’ (TRUE, www.true-project.eu), Grant Agreement 727973; and the Scottish Government’s Strategic Research Programme. The James Hutton Institute (www.hutton.ac.uk) is supported by the Rural & Environment Science & Analytical Services (RESAS), a division of the Scottish Government. References Eyhorn et al., (2019). Sustainability in global agriculture driven by organic farming. Nature Sustainability, 253. Passet, R. (1979). L'économique et le vivant [The economic and the living] 23, Payot., For Figure 1 see slide (page) 21