Practice Abstract 53 - Case study analysis of legume suppliers within Norway, Germany, Portugal and Denmark assessing their contribution to sustainable agricultural transition in Europe

Short title (native language): 
Case study analysis of legume suppliers within Norway, Germany, Portugal and Denmark assessing their contribution to sustainable agricultural transition in Europe

Short summary for practitioners (native language): 
Studying four legume suppliers located in Norway, Germany, Portugal and Denmark the aim was to identify how companies seek to increase their market shares in a future European legume market and to assess whether sustainability issues are included in the marketing of their legumes. The large scale Norwegian company only focus on export markets, with highly refined products (protein & starch separation by air classification) for unlimited mixing with traditional food. The yellow pea is imported from Denmark and Baltic countries. In contrast the small scale Danish company focusses on local markets for their own cultivated chick pea and lupine, developing local food chains and applying sustainable agricultural practices, applying principles of agroecology. The two medium size companies located in Germany and Portugal apply different business models:The German company seek to expand their markets, for domestic cultivated and imported faba-beans, including countries outside the middle east. They also produce large amounts of legume flour as food ingredient to increase their future market shares. The Portuguese company mainly focus on the domestic markets for locally cultivated chick pea, but also looks for opportunities to sell smaller amounts of organic chick pea and flour produce for food. The case study revealed that large amounts of legumes will be cultivated within the EU in the future, but that it may make only a minor contribution to a more sustainable food system. However a genuine transition takes place at the niche level, as the small scale Danish case exemplifies. If applied in larger scale and by adopting principles of agroecology such local food systems will contribute to a more sustainable agricultural transition within the EU.