Webinar series explores legume-based business network for food security

"Legume crop-based food systems are central to sustainable economic development, and now is an opportunity to form the necessary innovation partnerships in a business network"

A series of eight free-to-attend webinars and networking events will explore the many opportunities surrounding legume production and use.

The webinars series will take in April and May this year and are being organised by the European Commission-funded LegValue and TRUE projects, with presentations delivered by stakeholders with wide-ranging expertise from across different value chains – all linked by the common aim of unlocking the potential benefits of home-grown legumes.

The TRUE project science coordinator at the James Hutton Institute, Dr Pete Iannetta, said: “Legumes are extraordinary crops - peas, beans, soybean, lentil, and forages such as clovers, are recognised as ‘must have’ crops to address both the environmental and health challenges of our time.”

While the online events mark the end of TRUE and LegValue projects, they also seek to leave a legacy group in the form of a new ‘Legume Innovation Network’, building on the projects’ legacies. Dr Iannetta added: "Legume crop-based food systems are central to sustainable economic development, and now is an opportunity to form the necessary innovation partnerships in a business network, and I encourage all legume-focused stakeholders to participate.”

The Legume Innovation Network links industry with civic organisations, traders, and retailers from across Europe and internationally, and is intended to help facilitate the new business partnerhsips for more-sustainable food products - promoting awareness of new insights, services, or requirements for commercially competitive production and consumption of legumes, and legume-based products.

The webinars are:

• 14 April 10am CEST: Digging in to legumes and the potential of the Legume Innovation Network
• 20 April 10am CEST: Optimising legume production
• 22 April 10am CEST: Legume-based value chains, farm gate and beyond the market
• 27 April 10am CEST: The diversity of end uses for legumes
• 29 April 10am CEST: Pushing the boundaries in legume breeding
• 4th May 10am CEST: How legume science is enabling industry
• 6th May 10am CEST: The road map for legumes: Policy and the role in transformation to greater legume production
• 13th May 10am CEST: Roundup: Bringing the Legume Innovation Network together

To register your interest in any of the webinars, visit https://www.true-project.eu/legume-innovation-network/.

For more information about the LegValue project, visit www.legvalue.eu, and further details about the Legume Innovation Network are available at www.true-project.eu/legume-innovation-network.