Cultivation of faba beans for regional protein supply: a case study on the association 'Rheinische Ackerbohne e.V.'

Faba beans have been an important component in human and animal nutrition in many parts of the world for long periods of time. Soybean imports from overseas have been displacing domestic protein crops in Europe since the 1950s. Although the cultivation of faba beans entails different eco-system services, they are rarely cultivated due to their low market performance. The societal benefits and provisions of eco-system services of cultivating faba beans are well recognized by the non-profit association ‘Rheinische Ackerbohne e.V.’ (association for faba bean cultivation in the Rhineland). The board and the members of the association are mainly farmers but also agricultural trade companies. The association was founded to strengthen the cultivation of faba beans in the Rhineland, a region in Western Germany. For this purpose, promoting products made from local faba beans, and raising the awareness about faba beans, which may protect bees and the environment, shall help to establish market structures and a regional value chain.