Before 1950, lentils were a largely unknown crop in my native Canada.
Despite having no pulse-growing tradition, though, Prairie-based farmers took a chance.
Today Canada is considered a world leader in pulse crops, growing a third of the world’s lentil supply.
Unlike Canada, Ireland has a rich pulse-growing tradition going back centuries (they were grown by Irish farmers thousands of years ago). Perhaps not lentils, but certainly faba beans and peas.
Like many traditional Irish crops, though, pulses and legumes have fallen by the wayside in past decades as cheaper, imported alternatives (like soya from the Americans) became more widely available.
Ireland’s Food Vision 2030 identified our lack of self-sufficiency in pulse growing as an area of concern.
Sustainability goals
Growing more pulses and legumes, for animal feed and human consumption, is now a priority to help reach our sustainability goals. According to Teagasc researcher Sheila Alves, who specialises in pulse and legume crops, it’s not just a priority for Ireland but for all of Europe.
Sheila Alves is a researcher at Teagasc who specialises in pulses and legumes.
The end of 2024 will see Europe-wide deforestation regulations, which will limit our ability to import things like soya or palm oil grown on deforested land.“Protein crops were identified as being one area where we are very vulnerable,” Sheila says.
“Current soybean varieties do not have what it takes to deliver what is required, but faba beans and peas have been grown in Europe for centuries and are suitable for our climates.”
Pulses are desireable for a number of reasons. They naturally “fix” nitrogen into the ground; lessening the need for artificial fertilisers. The crops are high in protein and the Government offers a Protein Aid Scheme to encourage and increase the national protein crop area, which currently stands at around 19,800ha.
Pulses are also one of the first groups listed by the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) recommended food guide. Nutritionally, they contain two to four times the amount of protein of cereal grains with significant amounts of iron, folate and zinc.
Crop rotations
Sheila believes there is a market for Irish-grown pulses for human consumption. She has been working with legume test trials for the past few years and hopes this research will encourage more tillage farmers to incorporate peas and faba beans into their crop rotations.
“Faba beans are very well suited to our climate and if you look at the Eurostat reports [when they are grown] we are in the top three highest yields in Europe,” she says. “They are low maintenance, which makes them ideal as a break crop for cereals.”
However, our changing climate has meant that parts of the country are becoming more prone to drought, and faba beans do not thrive in sandy soils under dry conditions. Therefore, Sheila believes peas – which grow well in sandy soils and are more resilient– could be planted in these areas.
The only issue? Peas are considered by many to be a “high risk crop” because of their low standability, which means they are susceptible to wind, rain and pests when close to harvest.
“We started some trials where we mixed the pea crop with faba beans,” Sheila says. “The bean is much stronger, so it was used as a support for the pea. Our experiments at Oak Park worked well, and now we have 10 farmers trying it out this year as part of the EU-funded VALPRO Path project.”
Once farming best practise is established, the high value potential of protein crops can be realised. This could include processing mills for making pulse-based flours and extracting plant-based proteins. Without a consistent domestic supply, though, Shelia says these other areas are currently reliant on imports.
“You need secure production and farmers willing to do it and then the other systems start being put in place,” she says.
Chef-driven demand
In Ireland, there are several farmers growing pulses for human consumption with many in the test crop-phase. Some independent mills, like Kells Wholemeal in Co Kilkenny, are experimenting with pulse flour.
There is certainly a gastronomic appetite for Irish-grown pulses, and Rose Greene is one chef who has gone a step further with her business 4 Hands Food Studio (4handsfoodstudio.ie); working directly with farmer Donal Keane to grow and cook with Irish dried peas.
Rose Greene owns and operates 4 Hands Food Studio with her partner, Margaux, in Co Westmeath.
“I worked internationally for over 10 years and had a restaurant in Belgium for a period of time,” she says. “I met my partner, Margaux, and felt I needed to get out of the industry. We decided to come back home to Ireland. We’re both driven by regenerative agriculture and sustainability, so we took the time to learn more about farming and visited farms around Europe.”
Rose and Margaux are based in Co Westmeath and have developed a small fermentation-focused product line; curated pop-up dining events; and during the COVID-19 lockdowns, they also provided takeaways within their locality. At one of their dining events, they met Donal and learned about some of the crops he was growing on his organic farm.
“At that time we were buying [the brand] Hodmedod’s pulses from the United Kingdom and using them regularly,” Rose says. “I was intrigued that somebody could potentially grow pulses for us here in Ireland.”
Last year, Donal grew barley and used peas as a combi-crop. Rose says he produced an excellent crop and they have been using his dried peas throughout the year, mainly in their Irish hummus.
“We sprout the peas which adds flavour and nutritional benefit,” she says. “It’s not like your traditional hummus; it has a really unique depth of flavour.”
Farmer Donal Keane.
This year, Donal, who is based in Co Meath, is growing an acre each of two pea varieties (Eso and Trendy) for Rose and Margaux. He is also growing 70ac of mixed barley and peas, which will be used for organic animal feed. While he agrees last year’s harvest was successful, he says it would not have been possible if he hadn’t had his own combine.
“It was very wet,” he says. “The peas were there with their pods open. One windy night would have left all of it on the ground. We had a fairly good harvest in the end, but we could pick and choose the moment to do it with our combine. We had a yield of about 1.7t.”
Donal says he would recommend any farmer considering sowing peas to have a “long, hard think” before jumping in and ask themselves:
“Will I be able to harvest this?” Timing is crucial when it comes to pulses, and contractors may not be able to get there in time.
“Without a harvester you won’t be able to do it; particularly in organics.”
In 2015, the United Nations (UN) 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was adopted by all UN member states, including Ireland. Within the agenda are 17 SDGs, or Sustainable Development Goals, which incorporate calls to action to end poverty and tackle climate change.
The second SDG is called “Zero Hunger”, and as part of this, the ‘Beans is How’ campaign aims to double the global consumption of legumes and pulses by 2028.
Ireland’s ‘Beans is How’ spokesperson is chef Ali Honour, who is based in Cork and whose appreciation of beans predates her involvement with the movement. She credits her grandparents, both farmers, who instilled in her a love of home-grown, nutritious food.
“They each played a pivotal role in shaping my understanding and appreciation of food, agriculture, and sustainability,” she says. “One of my most cherished memories is growing beans with my grandpa. We would gather the fresh pods and carry them into the kitchen where my grandmother transformed them into delicious meals. This process, from seed to pod to plate, is a nostalgic image I carry with me daily, a reminder of the harmony between nature and nourishment.”
“Beans are also a crucial component of a healthy diet,” she explains. “They support heart health, aid in digestion, and help maintain stable blood sugar levels. Ireland has immense potential to grow more pulses, such as beans, for human consumption. By focusing on pulse production, Ireland can diversify its agricultural output, reduce its reliance on imported protein sources and contribute to a more resilient food system.”
Ali promotes increasing our consumption of beans, pulses and legumes through recipe sharing.
“How do we drive demand? Well, as a chef, I am driving demand by getting creative with diverse recipes. There is certainly more to beans than bulking out a stew.”
Check out sdg2advocacyhub.org and @honouryourfood
A pulse is the term used to describe an edible seed from a legume plant. Common pulses include chickpeas, lentils, faba beans, beans and peas (like marrowfat peas).
We need to produce more pulse crops for human consumption to meet our climate and food security goals.Peas (like marrowfat peas) and faba beans are well suited to grow in Ireland.However, there are growing and harvesting issues with pea and faba bean crops which need to be addressed.There is a lack of processing infrastructure for pulses in Ireland which makes creating flours and other food products difficult. Read more
The future of dairy alternatives
It's all down to dad: Irish businesses who are keeping things in the family
Before 1950, lentils were a largely unknown crop in my native Canada.
Despite having no pulse-growing tradition, though, Prairie-based farmers took a chance.
Today Canada is considered a world leader in pulse crops, growing a third of the world’s lentil supply.
Unlike Canada, Ireland has a rich pulse-growing tradition going back centuries (they were grown by Irish farmers thousands of years ago). Perhaps not lentils, but certainly faba beans and peas.
Like many traditional Irish crops, though, pulses and legumes have fallen by the wayside in past decades as cheaper, imported alternatives (like soya from the Americans) became more widely available.
Ireland’s Food Vision 2030 identified our lack of self-sufficiency in pulse growing as an area of concern.
Sustainability goals
Growing more pulses and legumes, for animal feed and human consumption, is now a priority to help reach our sustainability goals. According to Teagasc researcher Sheila Alves, who specialises in pulse and legume crops, it’s not just a priority for Ireland but for all of Europe.
Sheila Alves is a researcher at Teagasc who specialises in pulses and legumes.
The end of 2024 will see Europe-wide deforestation regulations, which will limit our ability to import things like soya or palm oil grown on deforested land.“Protein crops were identified as being one area where we are very vulnerable,” Sheila says.
“Current soybean varieties do not have what it takes to deliver what is required, but faba beans and peas have been grown in Europe for centuries and are suitable for our climates.”
Pulses are desireable for a number of reasons. They naturally “fix” nitrogen into the ground; lessening the need for artificial fertilisers. The crops are high in protein and the Government offers a Protein Aid Scheme to encourage and increase the national protein crop area, which currently stands at around 19,800ha.
Pulses are also one of the first groups listed by the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) recommended food guide. Nutritionally, they contain two to four times the amount of protein of cereal grains with significant amounts of iron, folate and zinc.
Crop rotations
Sheila believes there is a market for Irish-grown pulses for human consumption. She has been working with legume test trials for the past few years and hopes this research will encourage more tillage farmers to incorporate peas and faba beans into their crop rotations.
“Faba beans are very well suited to our climate and if you look at the Eurostat reports [when they are grown] we are in the top three highest yields in Europe,” she says. “They are low maintenance, which makes them ideal as a break crop for cereals.”
However, our changing climate has meant that parts of the country are becoming more prone to drought, and faba beans do not thrive in sandy soils under dry conditions. Therefore, Sheila believes peas – which grow well in sandy soils and are more resilient– could be planted in these areas.
The only issue? Peas are considered by many to be a “high risk crop” because of their low standability, which means they are susceptible to wind, rain and pests when close to harvest.
“We started some trials where we mixed the pea crop with faba beans,” Sheila says. “The bean is much stronger, so it was used as a support for the pea. Our experiments at Oak Park worked well, and now we have 10 farmers trying it out this year as part of the EU-funded VALPRO Path project.”
Once farming best practise is established, the high value potential of protein crops can be realised. This could include processing mills for making pulse-based flours and extracting plant-based proteins. Without a consistent domestic supply, though, Shelia says these other areas are currently reliant on imports.
“You need secure production and farmers willing to do it and then the other systems start being put in place,” she says.
Chef-driven demand
In Ireland, there are several farmers growing pulses for human consumption with many in the test crop-phase. Some independent mills, like Kells Wholemeal in Co Kilkenny, are experimenting with pulse flour.
There is certainly a gastronomic appetite for Irish-grown pulses, and Rose Greene is one chef who has gone a step further with her business 4 Hands Food Studio (4handsfoodstudio.ie); working directly with farmer Donal Keane to grow and cook with Irish dried peas.
Rose Greene owns and operates 4 Hands Food Studio with her partner, Margaux, in Co Westmeath.
“I worked internationally for over 10 years and had a restaurant in Belgium for a period of time,” she says. “I met my partner, Margaux, and felt I needed to get out of the industry. We decided to come back home to Ireland. We’re both driven by regenerative agriculture and sustainability, so we took the time to learn more about farming and visited farms around Europe.”
Rose and Margaux are based in Co Westmeath and have developed a small fermentation-focused product line; curated pop-up dining events; and during the COVID-19 lockdowns, they also provided takeaways within their locality. At one of their dining events, they met Donal and learned about some of the crops he was growing on his organic farm.
“At that time we were buying [the brand] Hodmedod’s pulses from the United Kingdom and using them regularly,” Rose says. “I was intrigued that somebody could potentially grow pulses for us here in Ireland.”
Last year, Donal grew barley and used peas as a combi-crop. Rose says he produced an excellent crop and they have been using his dried peas throughout the year, mainly in their Irish hummus.
“We sprout the peas which adds flavour and nutritional benefit,” she says. “It’s not like your traditional hummus; it has a really unique depth of flavour.”
Farmer Donal Keane.
This year, Donal, who is based in Co Meath, is growing an acre each of two pea varieties (Eso and Trendy) for Rose and Margaux. He is also growing 70ac of mixed barley and peas, which will be used for organic animal feed. While he agrees last year’s harvest was successful, he says it would not have been possible if he hadn’t had his own combine.
“It was very wet,” he says. “The peas were there with their pods open. One windy night would have left all of it on the ground. We had a fairly good harvest in the end, but we could pick and choose the moment to do it with our combine. We had a yield of about 1.7t.”
Donal says he would recommend any farmer considering sowing peas to have a “long, hard think” before jumping in and ask themselves:
“Will I be able to harvest this?” Timing is crucial when it comes to pulses, and contractors may not be able to get there in time.
“Without a harvester you won’t be able to do it; particularly in organics.”
In 2015, the United Nations (UN) 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was adopted by all UN member states, including Ireland. Within the agenda are 17 SDGs, or Sustainable Development Goals, which incorporate calls to action to end poverty and tackle climate change.
The second SDG is called “Zero Hunger”, and as part of this, the ‘Beans is How’ campaign aims to double the global consumption of legumes and pulses by 2028.
Ireland’s ‘Beans is How’ spokesperson is chef Ali Honour, who is based in Cork and whose appreciation of beans predates her involvement with the movement. She credits her grandparents, both farmers, who instilled in her a love of home-grown, nutritious food.
“They each played a pivotal role in shaping my understanding and appreciation of food, agriculture, and sustainability,” she says. “One of my most cherished memories is growing beans with my grandpa. We would gather the fresh pods and carry them into the kitchen where my grandmother transformed them into delicious meals. This process, from seed to pod to plate, is a nostalgic image I carry with me daily, a reminder of the harmony between nature and nourishment.”
“Beans are also a crucial component of a healthy diet,” she explains. “They support heart health, aid in digestion, and help maintain stable blood sugar levels. Ireland has immense potential to grow more pulses, such as beans, for human consumption. By focusing on pulse production, Ireland can diversify its agricultural output, reduce its reliance on imported protein sources and contribute to a more resilient food system.”
Ali promotes increasing our consumption of beans, pulses and legumes through recipe sharing.
“How do we drive demand? Well, as a chef, I am driving demand by getting creative with diverse recipes. There is certainly more to beans than bulking out a stew.”
Check out sdg2advocacyhub.org and @honouryourfood
A pulse is the term used to describe an edible seed from a legume plant. Common pulses include chickpeas, lentils, faba beans, beans and peas (like marrowfat peas).
We need to produce more pulse crops for human consumption to meet our climate and food security goals.Peas (like marrowfat peas) and faba beans are well suited to grow in Ireland.However, there are growing and harvesting issues with pea and faba bean crops which need to be addressed.There is a lack of processing infrastructure for pulses in Ireland which makes creating flours and other food products difficult. Read more
The future of dairy alternatives
It's all down to dad: Irish businesses who are keeping things in the family
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