The project "TRansition paths to sUstainable legume based systems in Europe" is a balanced practice-research partnership of 24 institutions, which aims to identify the best routes, or “transition paths” to increase sustainable legume cultivation and consumption across Europe.
Sophisticated status quo analysis and advanced modelling approaches combined with data generated from 24 Case Studies and transdisciplinary knowledge-exchange will lead to concrete innovations and to a final Decision Support Tool for primary producers, agronomists, processors, associated businesses and decision makers to help determine a range of options for successful transitions that include a variety of legume species and processing approaches to match the pedo-climatic zones and farm network types.
Legume Innovation Networks are being formed in three different pedoclimatic regions across Europe, which are: ‘Atlantic’, ‘Continental’ and ‘Mediterranean’.
Sustainability approach
Define the current status and ideal optimum state of sustainability in areas where the pillars overlap, while minimising the trade-off in the overlapping regions (--> viable, equitable, bearable).
Sophisticated analysis, using established data-mining and modelling techniques that can be applied in order to test the utility of the metrics of sustainability and then to quantify and rank existing transition paths.
Novel Decision Support Systems for a wide range of end users can help stakeholders to identify optimum states and hence more effective transition pathways.
Objectives
1.Identify, from data collected across a diversity of Farm Networks and Case Studies, key factors that demonstrate successful use of legumes in a range of production systems with related quality chains, and the historical drivers that supported the transition
2.Using a suite of advanced modelling approaches, combine data generated from Farm Case Studies into a final Decision Support Tool for primary producers, agronomists, processors, associated businesses and decision makers to determine a range of options for successful transitions that include a range of legume species to match the pedo-climatic zones and farm network types
Consortium
The TRUE Project consists of nine diverse and interacting work packages. The list of work packages and the institute leading each work package is below.
WP No. | WP Title | Lead |
1 | Knowledge Exchange and Communication | University of Hohenheim |
2 | Case Studies | Agricultural University of Athens |
3 | Nutrition and Product Development | Universidade Catolica Portuguesa |
4 | Markets and Consumers | Institute for Food Studies and Agroindustrial Development APS |
5 | Environment: Environmental LCA and Nutrient Quality Assessment of Legume Cropping and Legume Products | Trinity College Dublin |
6 | Economics - An Economic Assessment of Sustainable and Profitable Legume Production and Consumption | Scotland's Rural College |
7 | Policy and Governance | ESSRG Kft |
8 | Transition Pathways | Institut Jozef Stefan |
9 | Coordination | James Hutton Institute |
TRUE Work packages presented in the IMPACT brochure: Transition paths for legumes
Deliverables
Deliverable | Lead | WP |
Annual activity plan - Year I | JHI | 9 |
Capacity development workshop | UHOH | 1 |
Project website | UHOH | 1 |
Report on co-design of policy analysis | ESSRG | 7 |
Scientific, practice and policy publications - Year I | UHOH | 1 |
LCA methodology report | BU | 5 |
Annual activity plan - Year II | JHI | 9 |
Report: public and private procurement | IFAU | 4 |
A map of value chains for legumes used as food | IFAU | 4 |
Outline business plans/ cases | IFAU | 4 |
Data for Life Cycle Analysis proof of concept | UCP | 3 |
Co-production of the policy assessment | ESSRG | 7 |
Scientific, practice and policy publications - Year II | UHOH | 1 |
Practice Abstracts I | UHOH | 1 |
Facilitating the EU market demand for legume-grain and -fodder as feeds | IFAU | 4 |
Report: Sustainable Development Indicators for Quality Chains | IFAU | 4 |
Report: Best practices for the commercialisation of legumes | IFAU | 4 |
Annual activity plan - Year III | JHI | 9 |
Application of Delphi for governance contexts which favour legume-supported value chains | ESSRG | 7 |
Scientific, practice and policy publications – Year III | UHOH | 1 |
Summary leaflet of Attributional LCA (download leaflet) | BU | 5 |
Open Access Database for Life Cycle Analysis | BU | 5 |
The Environmental Assessment of Diets | TCD | 5 |
Behavioural analysis of farmers' and consumers' choice for legume uptake | SRUC | 6 |
Scenarios for upscaling production, including economic and trade indicators – Report I | SRUC | 6 |
Decision Support Models for the Evaluation of Legume-Based Systems: Environment, Economy and Socio-policy | JSI | 8 |
Impact Plan Recommendations | JHI | 9 |
Annual activity plan - Year IV | JHI | 9 |
Project Review, Impact and Legacy Plan - Report I | JHI | 9 |
Two scientific publications | UCP | 3 |
E-book on the Systematic Review | AUA | 2 |
Recipes for legume dishes in Europe | SF | 1 |
Best practice guide for legume inclusion in animal feed | AWI | 3 |
Innovation Catalogue | AWI | 3 |
Consequential LCA summary | BU | 5 |
Establish founding group of Pulse Europe | PGRO | 1 |
Practice Abstacts II | UHOH | 1 |
Scientific, practice and policy publications - Year IV | UHOH | 1 |
Data to institutional repository (ORDP) | AUA | 2 |
Environment and nutrieconomic assessments of European diets – Report I update | TCD | 5 |
Scenarios for upscaling production, including economic and trade indicators – Report I update | SRUC | 6 |
Update Policy papers/briefs and recommendations | ESSRG | 7 |
Web-based tool for legume systems | JSI | 8 |
Scientific and technical manuals/publications for web tool | JSI | 8 |
Updated Risk Log and Review Report | JHI | 9 |
Project Review, Impact and Legacy Plan - Report I | JHI | 9 |
The TRUE Practice Abstracts are compiled in the Deliverable 1.9: Practice Abstracts I (19 Practice Abstracts) and Deliverable 1.10: Practice Abstracts II (21 Practice Abstracts) .
TRUE practice abstracts are also uploaded on the EIP Agri Service Point Platform
Production
Practice Abstract 1. Impact of varying inorganic nitrogen supply on growth and yield of common bean grown hydroponically
Practice Abstract 2.What are the best companion crops for lentil?
Practice Abstract 3.Lupin in shrimp diets reduces cost and promotes animal health
Practice Abstract 4.How can greenhouse gas emissions in milk production be lowered?
Practice Abstract 5.Effects of inoculated legumes in intercropping systems on weeds and soil fertility in Kenya
Practice Abstract 6.The profitable integration of grain legumes: barley in Scotland as a case study
Practice Abstract 7.Cultivating faba bean as green manure in the Mediterranean region
Practice Abstract 8.Transition to legume biofertilizers for sustainable agriculture
Practice Abstract 9.Why and how to grow into a living mulch of in-crop clover
Practice Abstract 10.Using legumes as green manures in protected cropping
Practice Abstract 20.Grafting technique in common bean cultivation
Practice Abstract 21.Faba bean in salmon diets instead of fishmeal and GMO soy
Practice Abstract 22.Organic diets with home-grown feed sources for lactating sows and fattening pigs – Denmark
Practice Abstract 23.New rhizobia strains for common bean
Practice Abstract 24.New rhizobia for tephrosia and common beans
Practice Abstract 25.Developing elite-rhizobia inoculants to enhance legume crop performance and yield
Practice Abstract 26.Intercropping pea and barley for improved cereal mineral nutrition
Practice Abstract 27.Benefits and constraints for the introduction of lentils in rotations in temperate regions
Practice Abstract 28.How to use legumes to benefit pollinators
Practice Abstract 29.Sustainable crop rotations for soybean production in Southern Germany
Practice Abstract 30.Intercropping legumes with cereals to improve pest and weed control
Practice Abstract 31.How can legumes help in biomass production?
Practice Abstract 32.Selection of clovers for living mulches
Practice Abstract 33.Crop rotation schemes for organic common bean production under mild-winter climatic conditions
Processing
Practice Abstract 11.Legumes as an adjunct in beer production
Practice Abstract 12.Distilled spirit production can serve as a new legume market
Practice Abstract 13.Development and processing of protein rich vegetable foods
Practice Abstract 14.Extrusion as a way to develop new legume products
Practice Abstract 34.Update to brewing abstract – Pulses as an adjunct in beer production
Supply chain
Practice Abstract 15.Use your network for successful product development - the case of legume-based flours for gluten-free baked goods
Practice Abstract 16.How entrepreneurs can benefit from consumer focus groups
Practice Abstract 17.How to re-introduce traditional Hungarian legume land races in short food value chains?
Practice Abstract 18.Re-diversifying agri-food systems: growing soybean in Scotland
Practice Abstract 19.Opportunities of stakeholders for legume-based innovation. The case of Hungary.
Practice Abstract 35.Organizing a PGI/PDO labelled product (dried pulses)
Practice Abstract 36.Nordic consumers’ preferences for meat alternatives
Practice Abstract 37.Pulse consumption: potential drivers and barriers towards a sustainable diet
Practice Abstract 38.Guidance to the small-scale, organic growing of selected grain-legume species
Practice Abstract 39.Decision support system (DSS) Path Finder promotes sustainable legume path from farm to fork
Practice Abstract 40.Legumes and uptake – producers and consumers
See the TRUE community on Open Access depository Zenodo at: zenodo.org/communities/true_legumes
Scientific articles
- Santos et al. (2018) Relationship between seed traits and pasting and cooking behaviour in a pulse germplasm collection
- Black et al. (2019) Faba bean as a novel brewing adjunct: Consumer evaluation
- Hawes et al. (2019) Whole-Systems Analysis of Environmental and Economic Sustainability in Arable Cropping Systems: A Case Study
- Leinonen et al. ( 2019) Lysine Supply Is a Critical Factor in Achieving Sustainable Global Protein Economy
- Lienhardt et al. (2019) Just the tonic! Legume biorefining for alcohol has the potential to reduce Europe's protein deficit and mitigate climate change
- Squire et al. (2019) Transitions to greater legume inclusion in cropland: Defining opportunities and estimating benefits for the nitrogen economy
- Styles et al. (2019) Data for life cycle assessment of legume biorefining for alcohol
- Temesgen et al. (2019) The functional characterisation of soybean (Glycine max L.) rhizospheric bacteria indigenous to Ethiopian soils
- Santos et al. (2019) Variation in Pea (Pisum sativum L.) Seed Quality Traits Defined by Physicochemical Functional Properties
- Weiss et al. (2020) Lupin kernel meal as fishmeal replacement in formulated feeds for the Whiteleg Shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei)
- Ferreira et al. (2020) Benefits of pulse consumption on metabolism and health: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials
- Vasconcelos et al. (2019) Editorial: Transitions to Sustainable Food and Feed Systems
- Roriz et al. (2020) Legume Biofortification and the Role of Plant Growth-Promoting Bacteria in a Sustainable Agricultural Era
- Santos et al. (2020) The Effect of Sprouting in Lentil (Lens culinaris) Nutritional and Microbiological Profile
- Vasconcelos et al. (2020) The Biology of Legumes and Their Agronomic, Economic, and Social Impact
- Ntatsi et al. (2020) Which Agronomic Practices Increase the Yield and Quality of Common Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)? A Systematic Review Protocol
- Black et al. (2020) Utilization of Low Nitrogen Barley for Production of Distilling Quality Malt
- Saget et al. (2020) Substituting wheat with chickpea flour in pasta production delivers more nutrition at a lower environmental cost
- Costa et al. (2020) Representing crop rotations in life cycle assessment: a review of legume LCA studies
- Oré Barrios et al. (2020) Factors determining the spatial distribution of grain legume cultivation in the EU (p. 293-308)
- Karavidas et al. (2020) Comparative Assessment of Different Crop Rotation Schemes for Organic Common Bean Production
- Leinonen et al. (2020) Regional land use efficiency and nutritional quality of protein production
- Duarte et al. (2020) Pulse Consumption among Portuguese Adults: Potential Drivers and Barriers towards a Sustainable Diet
- Ferreira et al. (2020) Health benefits of pulse consumption – An overview
- Reif et al. (2020) Reviving a Neglected Crop: A Case Study on Lentil Cultivation in Germany
- Black et al. (2020) Optimised processing of faba bean kernels as a brewing adjunct
- Saget et al. (2021) Substitution of beef with pea protein reduces the environmental footprint of meat balls whilst supporting health and climate stabilisation goals
- Balázs et al. (2021) Integrated policy analysis to identify transformation paths to more-sustainable legume-based food and feed value-chains in Europe
- Costa et al. (2021) Legume-Modified Rotations Deliver Nutrition With Lower Environmental Impact
- Saget et al. (2021) Comparative life cycle assessment of plant and beef-based patties, including carbon opportunity costs
- Ianetta et al. (2021) A multifunctional solution for wicked problems: value-chain wide facilitation of legumes cultivated at bioregional scales is necessary to address the climate-biodiversity-nutrition nexus
- March et al. (2021) Effect of Nutritional Variation and LCA Methodology on the Carbon Footprint of Milk Production From Holstein Friesian Dairy Cows
- Balázs et al. (2021) Policy Interventions Promoting Sustainable Food- and Feed-Systems: A Delphi Study of Legume Production and Consumption
Practice Abstracts & Policy briefs
- The Practical Effectiveness of Nitrogen-Fixing Crops: Policy Briefing
- All TRUE practice abstracts on the EIP Agri Service Point Platform
- Deliverable 1.9: Practice Abstracts I (19 Practice Abstracts)
- Deliverable 1.10: Practice Abstracts (21 Practice Abstracts)
- All TRUE Practice Abstracts
- Policy Briefs
New Deliverable reports
- Ebook on the Systematic Review (download pdf)
- Data to institutional repository (ORPD) (download pdf)
- Scientific, practice and policy publications in year 2 (download pdf)
- Updated Risk Log and Review Report (download pdf)
- Project Review, Impact & Legacy Plan - Report I Update (download pdf)
- Web-based tool for legume systems (download pdf)
- Scientific and technical manuals/publications for web tool (download pdf)
- Sector Modelling Scenarios for Upscaling Legume Production in the EU27+UK (download pdf)
- Innovation Catalogue (download pdf)
- Best practice guide on legume processing and inclusion (download pdf)
- Practice Abstracts II (download pdf)
- Policy Briefs & Recommendations (download pdf)
- Establish founding membership of the 'Legume Innovation Network' (download pdf)
- Recipes for Legume Dishes in Europe (download pdf)
- Two scientific publications (download pdf)
- Project Review, Impact and Legacy Plan - Report I (see on Zenodo)
- Annual activity plan - Year IV (download pdf)
- Scientific, practice and policy publications – Year III (download pdf)
- The Environmental Assessment of Diets (download pdf)
- Facilitating the EU market demand for legume-grain and -fodder as feeds (download pdf)
- Behavioural analysis of farmers' and consumers' choice for legume uptake (see on Zenodo)
- Decision Support Models for the Evaluation of Legume-Based Systems: Environment, Economy and Socio-policy (download pdf)
- Impact plan recommendations (download pdf)
- Summary Leaflet: attributional LCA for legumes and legume-based products (download pdf)
- Open Access Database for Life Cycle Analysis (download pdf)
- A map of value chains for legumes used as food (download pdf)
- Application of Delphi for governance contexts which favour legume-supported value chains (download pdf)
- Best practices for the commercialisation of legumes (download pdf)
- Sustainable Development Indicators for Quality Chains (download pdf)
- Scientific, practice and policy publications in year 2 (download pdf)
- Business Cases (download pdf)
- Practice Abstracts (download pdf)
Stakeholder workshop reports
- Report of the Continental LIN Workshop, November 2017 in Hohenheim, Germany (download pdf)
- Report of the Atlantic LIN Workshop, December 2017 in Peterborough, UK (download pdf)
- Report of the Mediterranean LIN Workshop, April 2018 in Athens, Greece (download pdf)
- Report of the 2nd Continental LIN Workshop, October 2018 in Budapest, Hungary (download pdf)
- Report of the 2nd Atlantic LIN Workshop, May 2019 in Nyborg, Denmark (download pdf)
- Report of the 2nd Mediterranean LIN Workshop, July 2019 in Porto, Portugal (download pdf)
- Report of the 3rd Continental LIN Workshop, September 2019 in Ljubljana, Slovenia (download pdf)
Presentations
- Abstract of oral presentation by Pete Iannetta at ESA2018: For the love of wise agronomy: transition paths to legume supported food- and feed-systems in Europe
- Abstract of oral presentation by Pete Iannetta at Food2030: Re-establishing legumes as a socio-economic necessity for sustainable and resilient agri-food systems
- Henrik Maaß at the Arche Noah Idea Lab Hülsenfrüchte (DE): Leguminosen. Europäische Perspektive von Anbau bis Konsum
- TRUE Work packages presented in the IMPACT brochure: Transition paths for legumes
- Marko Debeljak at the Autumn Food Seminar of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia in December 2018, focused on food, nutrition and consumers. (download pdf)
- Presentation at the online legume tasting organised by Slow Food (DE): Wie steht es um Bohne, Erbse & Co in Europa?
Transdisciplinary Research
- TRUE Toolbox for Transdisciplinary Research (download pdf)
Project information material
- Public summary of the TRUE Periodic Report after the first 18 months (download pdf)
- TRUE Logo (download png / download jpg)
- TRUE Poster (download pdf)
- TRUE Poster January 2019 (download pdf)
- TRUE Flyer (download pdf)
- TRUE Presentation (download pdf)
- TRUE LCA Summary Leaflet (download pdf)
Case Study Videos
CS 1: Lowering the carbon footprint of milk production
Video on the carbon footprint of milk production and how to lower it by using clover.
CS 2: The Teagasc Clover Group
Video on why and how to improve the uptake of legumes and particularly clover amongst farmers.
CS 3: Intercrops for Food and Feed
Video on processing legumes for potentially high value products: beer, vodka and gin.
CS 5: Intercropping for High Productivity Low Input Systems
Video on legacy effects of (leguminous) intercrops on the following crop.
CS 6: Development of PAT-led agronomy for strip-sown crop and forage-legume living mulch combinations
Video on potential multifunctional positive impacts of leguminous living mulches within crop production systems.
CS 7: Heritage varieties for enhanced human and beneficial insect nutrition
Video on the investigation of the value of heritage legume varieties in terms of their nutrient value for both humans and beneficial insects.
CS 8: Using Legumes as a Source of Fertility Protected Cropping Systems
Video on the use of legumes as a source of fertility in protected cropping systems.
CS 15: Organic lupins for aquaculture feeds
Video on formulating alternative sustainable diets with legumes for aquaculture fish.
CS 16: Policy for sustainable development
Video on investigating legumes' potential role in Croatian agricultural production.
CS 17: Pulses in Short Food Supply Chains
Video on the cultivation and use of legumes in short food supply chains.
CS 18: Ancient & heritage variety screening for higher nutritive value
Video on providing legume grains for novel food and feed development.
CS 19: Consumers | Legume dishes
Video on legume dishes and their advantages for human diets and the environment.
CS 20: Processors – Snack and Convenience Foods
Video on the development of legume-based snack and convenience foods for human consumption.
CS 21: Novel grafted types – high yield
Video on how to study the best conditions for increased yield, yield quality and abiotic stress tolerance.
CS 22: Elite inoculum - inc. yield & profit
Video on the challenges of soil-N-balance in organic agriculture and how to address them.
CS 23: Development of sustainable legume-based cropping and grassland systems and agri-food and feed chains
Video on the Solintagro organization showing their field plots, lentil and pea cultivation in tunnels, manual harvesting and threshing as well as common diseases in peas and lentils.
CS 24: Agroforestry in Kenya - Improving Yields and Developing the Up-stream Value Chains Characterisation
Video on the challenges of soil-N-balance in organic agriculture and how to address them.
LIN Workshop Videos and Virtual Field Trips
Grain legume cultivation in Mediterranean farming systems (video)
3rd TRUE M-LIN Workshop, 2020. Virtual field trip by Eleonora Barilli (Solintagro SL) on the Solintagro organization, showing their field plots, lentil and pea cultivation in tunnels, manual harvesting and threshing as well as common diseases in peas and lentils.
3rd TRUE M-LIN Workshop, 2020. Virtual field trip by Ioannis Karavidas and Vasiliki Vougeleka, Agricultural University of Athens.
Legume breeding for the Mediterranean region (video)
3rd TRUE M-LIN Workshop, 2020. Virtual field trip by Diego Rubiales, Institute for Sustainable Agriculture, CSIC Sostenible.
Legume consumers - Looking at legumes through the consumers' eye (video)
2nd TRUE C-LIN Workshop in Budapest, 2018.
Day 1 - Legumes through the consumers' eye (video)
Full presentation video of the 2nd TRUE C-LIN Workshop in Budapest, 2018.
Interviews
TRUE ISAB interviews (video)
Interviews with members of the Intercontinental Scientific Advisory Board (ISAB) of the TRUE project:
The members introduce themselves, they state why they think the TRUE project is crucial at this time and describe the innovative approach of it and they talk about examples for transition paths.
TRUE interview with StartUp Hülsenreich (video)
During the 2nd continental Legume Innovation and Networking (LIN) workshop in Budapest we interviewed Emilie Wegner and Simon Vogt from the Start Up Hülsenreich about their perspective on legumes.
Interview with TRUE work package leaders (video)
TRUE Work Package Leaders after presenting the first H2020 intermediate report to the EU. Scotland House, Brussels, December 2018
Interview with Marko Debeljak (video)
Interview at the Continental Legume Innovation and Networking (LIN) Workshop in Hohenheim with Marko Debeljak from the Jožef Stefan Institute, Slovenia, about Work Package 8 - Sustainability Indicators and a Decision Support Tool for Transition Paths.
Interview with Attila Krall (video)
Interview at the Continental Legume Innovation and Networking (LIN) Workshop in Hohenheim with Attila Krall from Agri Kulti, Hungary, about Case Study 17.
Interview with Geoff Squire (video)
Interview at the Atlantic Legume Innovation and Networking (LIN) Workshop in Peterborough with Geoff Squire from the James Hutton Institute.
Interview with Francis Rayns (video)
Interview at the TRUE Atlantic Legume Innovation and Networking Workshop with Dr. Francis Rayns from the Centre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience at the Coventry University.
Interview with Dave George about legumes as undercrop using strip-till (video)
Interview at the TRUE Atlantic Legume Innovation and Networking Workshop with Dr. Dave George from the Stockbridge Technology Centre.
Interview with Karen Hamann about legume markets and supply chains (video)
Interview at the TRUE Atlantic Legume Innovation and Networking Workshop with Karen Hamann from IFAU for the Work Package 4.
Interview with David Styles about environmental assessment of transition paths (video)
Interview at the TRUE Atlantic Legume Innovation and Networking Workshop with Dr. David Styles from Bangor University for the Work Package 5.
Interview with Prof. Bob Rees (video)
Interview at the TRUE Atlantic Legume Innovation and Networking Workshop with Prof. Bob Rees from the Scotland's Rural College.
Other Videos
Show cooking at "Mercado de Bolhão" (video)
As part of the field trip during the 2nd TRUE LIN Workshop which took place in Porto, all TRUE members were invited to a show cooking event at "Mercado de Bolhão".
Incorporating white clover on cattle and sheep farms (video)
As part of the interactive webinar "Let's talk cattle and sheep", aiming at cattle and sheep farmers, James Humphreys gave recommendations on how to optimise the benefits of clover in grassland based on the findings of Case Study 2.
Adding value: a central role for legumes (video)
Field Beans: not just a break crop (video)
As a contribution to the virtual Arable Scotland Event on July 2, TRUE Project Coordinator Pete Iannetta gave two presentations about legumes' central role in crop rotation and legume agronomy.
https://www.arablescotland.org.uk/programme
Reducing costs through good clover management (video)
Dan Clavin gave a presentation on the Case Study 2 findings about using clover in grassland at the virtual "Smart Farming Spring Seminar 2020" on April 30th 2020 for the Irish Farmers Association (72,000 members): https://smartfarming.ie/
How Pea Gin could help reduce your environmental impact (video)
This is a students film project about the recent TRUE publication 'Just the tonic!' on the life cycle assessment of gin production with peas.
1 Minute With Marta Vasconcelos, Professor (video)
Marta Vasconcelos talking about the TRUE project and Work Package 3.
Video Exchange on the field (video)
UHOH and UCP Researchers give an interview about their role in the TRUE project and explain the legume trails on the agricultural experimental site "Kleinhohenheim".
Soybean where? TRUE Project report Nov 17 (video)
The video shows experimental plots, comparing ‘no inoculum’ and ‘AMF only’ seed treatments with plants of the ‘bradyrhizobia only’ and ‘bradyrhizobia plus AMF’ seed treatments.
TRansition paths to sUstainable legume-based systems in Europe (TRUE) has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 727973