Research project Building a local chickpea processing chain

Main research question

Chickpeas are wildly popular today and have a wide variety of uses, pure or processed, in a variety of delicious dishes. However, currently the cost price of locally grown chickpea is significantly higher than the current world market price, and local cultivation of chickpea is not yet profitable. The consumption of chickpea in our regions is on the rise and almost all chickpea is currently imported. This is partly due to limited cultivation knowledge (varieties, bacterial inoculum, cultivation mechanization) and partly due to the lack of a local chickpea processing chain. A follow-up project to KIK-Love, the KIKET project works to build this local chain.

Research approach

The KIKET project builds on the knowledge of the KIK-Love project, which optimized Flemish chickpea cultivation (choice of varieties, bacterial inoculum, profitability). The focus of KIKET is to investigate the willingness of the actors before and after the farm. Is there a willingness to switch to Flemish chickpea? And will various actors (retail, processors, consumers) pay an appropriate price? Which opportunities are availalable for local chickpea, at which ideal scale?

Relevance/Valorization

In Flanders, but also in Europe, protein diversification and the local cultivation of protein crops are being actively stimulated. Chickpea shows potential for helping shift to local production of more plant protein. To the primary sector, it offers opportunities for crop diversification, reducing pesticides and fertilizers, as chickpea is a leguminous crop that can fix nitrogen. KIKET aims for an inclusive business model with open and transparent pricing throughout the chain from farmer to consumer.

Financing

Vlaamse Overheid Departement L&V