A webinar exploring the potential of faba beans in building sustainable plant-protein value chains is set to take place tomorrow (Thursday, April 2).

Titled 'Creating plant protein value chains - Faba bean', the session will highlight how this crop can contribute to more resilient and sustainable protein systems across Europe.

The webinar will be hosted by the Horizon Europe VALPRO Path project, which is coordinated by Teagasc.

Teagasc said: “As Europe seeks to reduce dependency on imported protein sources, faba bean is gaining attention for its adaptability, high nutritional value, and wide range of food applications.

“The webinar will offer stakeholders practical, science-based insights spanning the entire value chain - from agronomy to processing and product development.”

Webinar highlights 

According to Teagasc, the mission of VALPRO Path is to pioneer fresh possibilities, validating and showcasing ways to enhance plant protein production for food and feed in the EU.

The webinar will feature the latest research and insights from the project.

These include:

Agronomic performance and crop potential: Dr. Sheila Alves (Teagasc) will present findings on yield performance across trial sites, protein content achieved, and the suitability and adaptability of faba beans across different European regions, alongside key observations from field trials;
Nutrition, processing, and product development: Prof. Mark Fenelon (Teagasc) will explore the nutritional profile and functional properties of faba beans, highlighting processing technologies tested within the project, their impact on nutritional quality, and prototype food products developed;
Food applications in bakery products: Dr. Eimear Gallagher (Teagasc) will focus on the application of faba bean flour in bakery products, including functional and nutritional performance, product development trials, and the challenges and opportunities in bakery reformulation.

Following the presentations, Dusan Cenejac Simpraga of Foodscale Hub, will bring the speakers together to explore key challenges and opportunities for scaling faba bean value chains across Europe.

Opening remarks will be delivered by Dr. Richard Lynch from Teagasc, VALPRO Path’s project manager, who will also introduce the project and set the scene for the session.

The webinar will conclude with closing statements from Cenejac Simpraga, summarising key insights and outlining future collaboration opportunities.

The webinar will take place tomorrow (Thursday, April 2), from 11:00a.m-12:00p.m. Further information is available on the Teagasc website.