Summary

The Operational Group performed field trials to produce fava beans and sweet lupin beans as raw materials for the Swedish food industry. The feasibility of large-scale production was explored, as was the geographical suitability of different parts of Sweden for growing these crops. The project also looked at how these crops could be used in the food industry by experimenting with ways of processing the raw materials into food ingredients and developing new food product prototypes.

Results

The cultivation experiments resulted in good yields for all bean varieties tested. All crops grew equally well in the different climate zones, but the broad bean beetle was identified as a potential threat to large-scale organic production. 

The project showed promising results for the use of protein crops in food production and there are now at least five potential product variants that could be launched using Swedish field beans and sweet lupin.