The Bean – Naturally Bridging Agriculture and Human Wellbeing

Summary

Access to a food and a diverse diet are important to secure human wellbeing. A big part of our diet is carbohydrates, which cereals are superior in supplying. The challenge addressed in this chapter is to find appropriate ways to supplement these carbohydrates. Using Phaseolus beans as example, we discuss the focus of our efforts based on variations in yield of the crop and variations in the bean grain’s richness in minerals. Securing an abundant supply of minerals in the daily diet of people is a major challenge for mankind. But acknowledging that farmers cultivate their crops in very different environments may be a first important premise to re-establish the bridge between agriculture and human well-being. If the farmers are helped to address the localness, the food industry may benefit from such a premise as the supply of raw materials can be increased. When resources become even more scares in the very near future and climate change contribute to variability, such possibilities for resource use optimization will become an important agenda. A prototyping research approach at farmers’ level is advocated where particular value chains are described. Prototyping are particularly important when addressing localness.