How an ancient legume could help shape the future of agriculture and food systems.
The grass pea (Lathyrus sativus) – one of the oldest cultivated crops – is making a comeback, thanks to research at Justus Liebig University Giessen (JLU) within the EU Horizon 2020 project BioValue.
Once nearly forgotten, this resilient legume is showing promise as a climate-smart, nitrogen-fixing, and highly nutritious crop that could contribute significantly to sustainable agriculture and healthy diets. Its exceptional tolerance to both drought and excessive rainfall makes it a strong candidate for future farming in the face of climate change.
A research team at JLU – in collaboration with partners from Serbia, Spain, and France – studied the untapped potential of the grass pea and published their findings in the journal Sustainability. The results are impressive:
- Improved soil fertility through natural nitrogen fixation
- Reduced need for synthetic fertilizers
- High nutritional value (especially protein)
- Versatile in culinary innovation, with dishes like grass pea crackers and hearty stews already in development
However, as raw grass pea seeds can contain neurotoxic compounds, proper processing techniques like soaking, fermenting, cooking, and sprouting are essential.
“To fully realize the potential of this ‘forgotten’ crop, we need adapted cultivation methods and collaboration across the agri-food value chain – from farm to table,” says Dr. Irina Solovieva, lead author of the study at JLU’s Centre for International Development and Environmental Research (ZEU) and the Centre for Sustainable Food Systems (ZNE).
This work was funded by the EU project BioValue (Fork-to-Farm agent-based simulation tool augmenting BIOdiversity in the agri-food VALUE chain).
🔗 Read the full study: https://doi.org/10.3390/su170832
