Press release ImPuls focuses on chain formation and local sales for soy in Flanders

ILVO, Inagro, and Boerenbond are joining forces to make local soy cultivation in Flanders profitable in the short term. Specifically, they are focusing on chain formation and local sales through pilot projects and collaboration between farmers, retailers, traders, and food companies. Sharing cultivation knowledge among farmers is also an objective, so that the soy acreage in Flanders can increase. Finally, raising consumer awareness through campaigns during Legume Week should stimulate demand for local soy. T

"At the start of this project, there seems to be considerable interest in locally grown soy, both among smaller food companies and larger players in the agri-food, trade, and retail sectors," says ILVO researcher Joke Pannecoucque.

Building a local soy chain

Europe is a major agricultural producer in the world, but has a shortage of locally grown proteins. With its protein strategy, the Flemish government wants to focus on increasing local protein production and reducing dependence on imported soy. However, despite more than ten years of research and accumulated cultivation knowledge, the Flemish soy acreage has fluctuated between 20 and 100 hectares for years.

“The biggest hurdle for farmers today is not cultivation itself, but the lack of a well-organized and profitable chain for processing and marketing," says ILVO researcher Jarinda Viaene.

However, locally grown soybeans offer significant advantages. Thanks to their symbiosis with nitrogen-fixing bacteria, they require little fertilization, which is beneficial for soil and water quality. In addition, soybeans differ from other legumes in their high-quality protein composition: soybeans are the only legume that contains all the essential amino acids that humans need.

Growing demand for locally-produced ingredients

Although local soy cannot compete with imported soy in terms of price, there are certainly opportunities for local sales. Flanders has many SME-scale food companies that are actively looking for local, sustainable raw materials. ImPuls brings these processors, as well as their traders and customers, together to answer some crucial questions: Where can farmers dry, store, or process their harvest? Which traders and companies are willing to purchase local soy, and under what conditions? And how can we guarantee a fair price throughout the chain?

Pilot projects and targeted guidance

Through pilot projects and targeted guidance, ImPuls will establish and test new partnerships between farmers, traders, and processors. Cost-benefit analyses and life cycle assessments (LCA) will be used to calculate the added value of local soy for the various parties involved. A network of farmers and researchers will also be used to further refine cultivation knowledge and techniques in practice.

Raising awareness and stimulating demand

Consumer demand for products based on local legumes is one of the factors determining the success of the chain. That is why ImPuls, together with the Flemish Institute for Healthy Living (Vlaams Instituut Gezond Leven vzw), is focusing on raising awareness and creating demand. Campaigns such as Legume Week make consumers aware of the health and sustainability benefits of legumes, with a special focus on locally grown soy.

Lasting impact

With ImPuls, ILVO aims to achieve more than just temporary results. By combining chain operations with practical research, economic analyses, and consumer awareness, the project lays the foundation for a permanent upscaling of local soy cultivation. This gives the crop the potential to grow into a fully-fledged crop in Flemish agriculture.

ImPuls is being carried out with the financial support of VLAIO (HBC.2024.1173).