'Demand must make protein farming future-proof'

The European Union wants to become self-sufficient in protein-rich crops, such as soybeans and kidney beans. But we're not there yet. Growers of protein-rich crops for human consumption have united in the producer organization Eiwitboeren van Nederland. Now there is also a logo for home-grown beans, so that they become recognizable to the consumer. Research by the producer organization shows that half of consumers are extra motivated to buy a product if they know that it is made from vegetable proteins grown in the Netherlands.

More than 65 agricultural entrepreneurs are affiliated with Eiwitboeren van Nederland, one of the 56 organizations involved in the national Green Deal for high-protein crops (an elaboration of the National Protein Strategy). The producer organization has existed since May last year. The protein crops used include field beans, lupine, soya and chickpeas, as well as brown and white beans. "There is a very great diversity, much more than you initially think," says Henk Janknegt, chairman of Eiwitboeren.

Beans yield less than wheat
He himself grows field beans in the Flevopolder, because 'lupine does not thrive on calcareous young sea soils, which is more common in the Betuwe, on soils with a low calcium content'. Janknegt also has wheat. According to him, the balance of field beans compared to wheat is 'underperforming'. "The balance is insufficient: beans 6 tons per hectare for €350 per ton versus 10 tons of wheat for €250 per ton. That's where the pain lies. Now the wheat price is a bit lower and the difference is less, but the cultivation risk of field beans is also somewhat higher, more chance of diseases and pests and there is a greater weather risk, such as recently with wind damage."

So what is the decisive factor in growing protein-rich crops? "It is very good for your soil and it contributes to biodiversity, you store nitrogen in the soil and it gives good rooting, which you still benefit from two years later. It also expands the cultivation plan."

With the eco-premium in the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), there is an increase in interest in growing protein-rich crops, but according to the chairman of Eitwitboeren, most affiliated growers have been working on this for some time. "Now an Eco scheme has been set up by the ministry. If you want to get gold, you almost have to grow a protein-rich crop. But arable farmers who do that are not intrinsically motivated. You are rewarded per hectare, but the money should actually be come out of the balance. Now you are at the mercy of a piece of subsidy. That is very unreliable. If the current CAP ends in four years, what then?" Instead of subsidies, it should actually come from the price that the farmer receives. "Every Dutch arable farmer can grow a protein-rich crop and will do so as soon as it yields a sufficient balance," says Janknegt.

More information for consumers
According to him, the government can do a little more in this regard. "More focused on the market and consumer information. It is said that more plant-based food should be eaten, but large parties are importing more soy tax-free from outside Europe. The link must be made that protein crops can contribute to the biodiversity and soil health."

The producer organization recently commissioned DVJ-Insights to carry out a consumer survey into home-grown proteins for the third time. This shows that people know more about animal proteins than about vegetable proteins. Most consumers cannot identify products rich in protein. A boost for the growers is that half of the consumers are extra motivated to buy products with vegetable proteins, if they know that they have been grown in the Netherlands. Janknegt: "We want to create exactly this demand, so that the producer organization can realize a future-proof revenue model for protein-rich crops for its members."

Price must go up by 10 cents per kilo
In terms of price, Dutch soy cannot compete with soybeans from South America. Janknegt: "Because the environmental impact is not discounted. In the Netherlands you also have more cultivation risk, think of the wet spring." According to the chairman, the price must increase by €0,10 per kilo to make it profitable. "Often there is only a small part in a processed product. Suppose you have 200 grams of hummus, the price will only increase by a maximum of two cents. And you don't eat kilos of beans either."

According to the Agricultural Census of 2022, protein-rich crops are grown on 9.500 hectares in the Netherlands. An increase of 1% compared to 2021, with soybean cultivation in particular increasing to 185 hectares. According to Janknegt, 98% of the protein crops grown in the Netherlands end up in animal feed, because this market yields more. It is very difficult to sell protein-rich crops from our own soil to the human sector. While the protein transition is intended for that purpose, according to the chairman. "Vegetable proteins now come a lot from Farawayistan. People have the idea that plant-based food is good for the environment, but if you look at where it comes from: soy from South America, field beans from Canada and Australia. Imports are made from everywhere. "

There are some examples of products with locally grown beans, says Janknegt. "People who make smaller batches of hummus, canned beans from HAK, the field bean burger from AH, the ME-AT project from Vion. But Unilever's vegetarian butcher, for example, gets field beans from countries including Canada."

The problem is that consumers often have no idea of ​​the origin of protein-rich products. To make the product recognizable, the organization has created a logo. According to Janknegt, the first logo in the hands of primary producers. "In several meetings, it was said by producers that they cannot compete with foreign producers, because it can always be cheaper. Unfortunately, they are not colored red, white, blue, I would report. We have responded to that with the logo. You will have to indicate that the beans come from our own soil. I think that retail plays an important role in this."

The logo was launched at the end of June and, according to the chairman, it has already generated many positive reactions. "There are now also processors who want to distinguish themselves with Dutch products. I can't say which ones they are yet, but there are several buyers who say: we can do something with that."

Linda van Eekeres

Linda van Eekeres is co-writing editor-in-chief. She mainly focuses on macro-economic developments and the influence of politics on the agricultural sector.

l.vaneekeres@boerenbusiness. Nl

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