Innovative £1m pea protein project to break UK soya habit
31st May 2023
A groundbreaking £1 million project has been announced, aiming to have a significant impact on reducing UK imports of soya. The ‘Pea Protein’ project is being spearheaded by grass and forage seed specialist and breeder Germinal, a subsidiary of Belfast-based parent company Openfolde.
In the UK, we currently have an unsustainable soya habit, one we must break. The country imported three million tonnes for use in human and animal feeds last year. Soya is also a crop associated with deforestation in South America, contributing to the acceleration of climate change.
Demand for plant-based proteins is increasing. Currently, soya forms the basis of most plant-based protein options. We cannot grow soya beans at scale in our climate, so we need a viable alternative. Germinal’s climate smart approach is to produce a reliable UK-grown protein source that can replace soya in human foods, and they believe pea protein can be the solution. Peas are suited to the UK climate, are environmentally friendly, boost soil health by fixing free nitrogen from the air and even leave some in the ground for the next crop.
Germinal Horizon, the company’s Research and Innovation division, will collaborate with the John Innes Centre, IBERS and PGRO to deliver the project. The project is targeting three important challenges – the urgent need to replace soya with UK protein crops; meeting market demand for taste and functionality; and growing a soya protein alternative sustainably.
Commenting on the announcement, Paul Billings, Managing Director of Germinal UK and Ireland, said:
“Finding a sustainable alternative to soya is a priority for the food industry. Protein crops such as peas are ideal for the UK climate but one of our challenges is their flavour profile in human food. Pea flavours are undesirable for consumers in processed food, so the goal is to produce peas that are tasteless but retain nutritional value. The gene for flavourless peas was first identified in the 1990s by scientists at the John Innes Centre (JIC) in Norwich.
“This exciting breeding programme will use innovative research in pea genetics to develop new varieties without the traditionally associated problems. This funding continues to drive our innovation journey alongside award-winning Aber High Sugar grasses that can reduce emissions from ruminant grazing animals and a world-first hybrid clover that is resilient and resource-efficient”.
The programme is funded in part by Defra via Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), as part of the Farming Innovation Pathway. As well as delivering environmental sustainability, the project will provide new economic opportunities for farmers to replace soya with a homegrown alternative. Robust testing at farm level will ensure that only the varieties that meet market demands and the agronomic requirements of UK farmers will be commercially progressed. The project will be a positive step forward in the drive to find tailored solutions for the food industry that consider both the climate and consumer.
