Society is currently facing numerous challenges, such as increasing hunger, climate change and the loss of biological diversity. An important sector where solutions are necessary is agriculture. Measures to strengthen resilience and sustainability need to be identified and implemented. One solution for this area is legumes – also known as pulses or beans. The integration of legumes into cropping systems offers considerable benefits, including improved soil health, greater biodiversity, and a reduced need for synthetic fertilisers. However, many farmers frequently underestimate these benefits or are not aware of them.
The new EU project VALERECO began in June 2024 and aims to utilise the frequently overlooked benefits of legumes by promoting the understanding and adoption of legumes in agriculture and thereby improving the ecological sustainability of agricultural productivity. VALERECO is a four-year research project. It is funded through the Horizon Europe programme and has an overall budget of 4.8 million euros. The project brings together a broad consortium of 15 partners from 11 countries. The Agricultural University of Athens is coordinating the project. Leibniz University Hannover (Institute of Environmental Planning, Prof. Dr. Ann-Kathrin Koessler and Prof. Dr. Christina von Haaren) has received 450,000 euros to lead subprojects and a work package. This work includes the development of a system to support decision making as well as strategies for behavioural design in order to promote the acceptance and adoption of legumes and to provide targeted information about legumes to farmers, consumers and other stakeholders.
VALERECO has adopted a comprehensive approach, summarised by the motto “Identification – Valorisation – Dissemination of the ecological value of legumes”, in order to provide the knowledge, resources and innovative solutions required for the effective cultivation of legumes. This approach includes:
- Identification: Detailed analyses of the existing ecosystem benefits and the exploration of possibilities for integrating legumes into the new joint European agricultural policy.
- Valorisation: The establishment of nine living laboratories in six European countries in order to support the acceptance of legumes through strategies for behavioural design, participatory experiments and the demonstration of technical and economic solutions.
- Communication: The creation of a digital legume information centre, a support system for decision-making and an e-learning platform to improve knowledge transfer and support farmers and consultants in making decisions.
Learn more:
https://valereco.eu/
