Research project Local organic protein chain through collaboration between Biograno and LVEB

General introduction

The two-year TWEESPAN project, which provided research guidance to the partnership between a group of organic crop farmers (Biograno) and a processing company (La Vie Est Belle), yielded two useful conclusions: 1. Yellow peas are the most stable and promising crop under all growing conditions, while chickpeas require dry, warm years and lentils remain a challenging crop to grow. 2. Growers are best advised to transition toward demand-driven production of high-quality, food-safe organic protein crops.
The Tweespan project contributed to the Flemish Protein Strategy by strengthening and sustaining such direct collaboration. The project focused on marketing innovative vegetarian products made with locally grown ingredients. A key feature of the sustainable partnership was fairness in the commercial relationship. Conveying that message to consumers remains a challenge.

Research approach

Within Tweespan, farmers from Biograno, processor La vie est belle, research institutes ILVO and Inagro, and the organic sector organisation Bioforum are organized into a project consortium. Each contributes to a total sustainable and local chain of protein crops yellow peas, chickpeas and lentils. Several trials were performed to test single cropping as well as mixed cultivation with a legume in combination with oil flax/tarwe/barley. Methods to ensure food safety and quality were also explored.

Relevance/Valorization

Flanders has strong assets to become a hub for new proteins, with organic farming as a key driver. Despite risks and limited knowledge, within the Tweespan project, organic growers experimented with crops such as yellow peas, chickpeas, and lentils. Results varied widely due to fluctuating weather conditions. Due to this uncertainty, growers continue to operate on a small scale, which creates barriers to processing and competition with imports. Intercropping with grains offers a partial solution and improves soil quality thanks to nitrogen fixation. Collaboration across the entire supply chain—from growers to processing and retail—is crucial to strengthening local protein sources.

Financing

Vlaamse Overheid Departement L&V