Scientists call for more legume production in Europe to support healthy diets and reduce the ecological footprint
He is about to end up run over, his mother saves himScientists are calling for more lentil and bean production in Europe. According to a recent study, legumes have the dual power of supporting the transition towards healthy and sustainable diets on the one hand and reducing the environmental impact of intensive crops.
Growing more legumes represents a more sustainable and more nutritious approach to agriculture in Europe, according to a study published by Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems. Adding legumes to the traditional crop rotation (which typically includes barley, wheat and canola) offers significant benefits to both the environment and to humans and livestock, who obtain food of higher nutritional value.
"This strategy can significantly contribute to the specific objectives of the European Union Green Deal Farm to Fork to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the use of chemical pesticides and synthetic fertilizers," says Marcela Porto Costa of Bangor University, author of the study. . "For example in Scotland we have shown that the introduction of legumes in crop rotation has reduced the need for external nitrogen by almost half, while maintaining the production of food intended for human consumption unchanged."
Unlike other types of crops, legumes are the only ones able to find the nitrogen they need to grow from the air. From a nutritional perspective, they are also the most nutritious crops because they provide fiber, protein, iron, potassium, magnesium, and vitamins. Unfortunately, despite all the evident benefits, legumes are still scarcely cultivated on our continent: only 1,5% of European arable land is destined for their cultivation, compared to 14,5% globally.
Dr David Styles, who coordinated the study, confirms: “Our results reinforce the evidence of the positive role that switching to a healthy diet, including legumes, can play in environmental sustainability. Legumes offer a more balanced intake of carbohydrates, fibers and proteins than cereals, and can thus improve the nutritional quality of the food we eat. "
These important results show the need to think about the whole system (multi-crops, from producer to consumer) when planning interventions aimed at creating a more sustainable food system, in order to feed us better and at the same time reduce our environmental impact.
Fonte: Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems
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