Using a multi-actor approach to getting lupins ‘back on the menu’ in The Netherlands: involving breeders, farmers, food and feed industry and consumers.

Summary

The first initiatives aimed at increased lupin production in The Netherlands came from two high(er) value chains: the organic sector striving for regional feed production and the food industry looking for alternatives for soy-based products. As regional production is an added value for both market chains, an additional price could be afforded to compensate for the yield gap that developed over the years. Although this proved to be a good starting point for turning the downward spiral for lupins into an upward spiral, the barriers for a successful development turned out to come from many additional angles: a lack of knowledge on successful production among farmers, the absence of agro-chemicals allowed in the cultivation of lupins, the lack of infrastructure for collecting, drying and cleaning the lupins, the fear of food-producers to introduce a new and unknown allergenic ingredient to the production sites and the lack of knowledge among consumers were some of these additional barriers that needed to be addressed. To overcome these barriers, The Louis Bolk Institute started to cooperate with a great number of actors involved. In cooperation with food technologists and foodproducers new lupin based products were developed broadening the market for lupins grown for human consumption. Cooperation with a farmer union ensured that the allowance for necessary agro-chemicals was initiated and political support was organized at a regional and national level. Finally social organizations aimed at stimulating the public and political debate on protein transition were involved to get lupins better known among consumers and politicians as a new and healthy protein source. As a result of the involvement of all these different actors we are slowly seeing a rise in acreage and consumption of lupins in The Netherlands.