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Europe imports over 70% of the protein concentrates required for animal feed, mostly as soyabeans or soyabean meal. This situation is problematic in several economic and environmental respects. The objectives of Work package 'Economic and Environmental Analysis' of the European GRAIN LEGUMES Integrated Project (GLIP), were twofold: 1) to assess the economic and environmental impacts of grain legumes in animal feed and human nutrition and 2) to identify constraints to the increase of grain legume use. Two tools were used to analyse these questions: (i) economic feedstuff modelling (linear programming), allowing the calculation of optimal feedstuff formulas based on the composition and price of raw materials and the cost of transport and (ii) life cycle assessment (LCA), addressing the environmental impacts of products and production systems throughout the whole life cycle. In this special report we present a summary of the main results. More...

In the past years some efforts have been initiated in the grain legumes community to assess scientifically and technically the impacts of these plants and crops on the environment. More...

The introduction of a grain legume in a crop rotation does not reduce the gross margin of the rotation, and may even increase it slightly in some cases. Additionally, what are the consequences for the environment of introducing grain legumes in crop rotations? More...

Analyses of the potential impacts of using European GL instead of soyabeans from North and South America to (i) produce pork or (ii) prepare different types of meals for human beings. More...

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Within LINK working group in 2002, the detailed analysis of the impacts of legume crops on the environament had been initiated with the case study of pea. More...