The demand for plant-based proteins is growing. However, under purely market-based conditions, their production has so far hardly been profitable for many farms – despite the existence of functioning marketing models in the form of cooperatives or contract farming. The example of protein crop cultivation illustrates what needs to be considered when establishing new value chains and lucrative marketing channels. In the run-up to the Inhouse Farming – Feed & Food Convention 2025, Stefan Beuermann (coordinator for producer groups in the LeguNet project) and Klaus Martin Fischer (industry expert at the management consultancy RSM Ebner Stolz Management Consultants) will show how the step from niche crops to economically viable high value crops can be organised.
The new DLG (German Agricultural Society) two-day trade event will take place on 30 September and 1 October 2025 at the Congress Center in Hamburg, Germany. The focus will be on cutting-edge topics such as algae, alternative proteins, aquaculture, sustainable energy concepts, high-value crops, insect breeding and cellular agriculture.
Peas, lupins, field beans and soya are seen as beacons of hope for sustainable agriculture. They improve the soil structure, break through weed cycles and bind atmospheric nitrogen. However, their cultivation has rarely been economically viable up to now. “Without price transparency, farmers lack a basis for planning,” says Beuermann. Legumes can only be sustainably established with resilient market structures and cooperation models. Fischer adds: “Legumes offer opportunities – if we think of them as part of a larger, regionally orientated and integrated system.”
From raw material to high-value crop: What the market really needs
New market opportunities are emerging in the area of plant-based foods in particular – especially for domestic crops such as peas, which are considered to be low in allergens, versatile and climate-friendly. Companies are increasingly focussing on regional raw materials and offering farmers cultivation contracts. “The market for plant-based proteins is growing rapidly – especially in the food sector,” says consultant Klaus Martin Fischer. He agrees with Beuermann: Value creation does not begin with cultivation, but rather with the organisation behind it. Planning security, market transparency and reliable partnerships determine whether niche crops become genuine high-value crops.
Inhouse Farming – Feed & Food Convention 2025
From 30 September to 1 October, the DLG will be organising the “Inhouse Farming – Feed & Food Convention” at the Congress Center in Hamburg. The focus is on topics such as algae, alternative proteins, aquaculture and energy concepts as well as on high-value crops, insects and cellular agriculture.
SOURCE: FARMER REVIEW AFRICA
