How faba beans are keeping our sustainability goals on track for a better future.
The faba bean is the key ingredient in all of our protein powders. It’s tasty. It’s creamy. It’s packed with protein. But this humble legume is also the secret weapon in keeping our environmental impact in check.
Faba beans are nitrogen-fixing, which means they imbue the soil they grow in with nitrogen, so farmers don’t need to rely so much on artificial fertiliser. This cuts down on carbon emissions (and costs), but it also helps improve the health of the soil for future crops. The flowers of these beans also attract pollinators, boosting biodiversity, so the faba bean is really taking on climate change from all angles.
There's a ton of agronomic and health benefits as well, and all of this goodness means the faba bean, at the very least, deserves an article spruiking its hard work. This is that article.
With growing concerns around food security, climate change, and the carbon footprint of our food systems, it’s clear we need to make some changes. The faba bean is locally grown in regions like the UK and Australia, and it offers serious potential to reduce the reliance on imported soybeans in these large markets.
So, our faba beans can be grown close to home, slashing the carbon emissions that come with importing crops like soy. For consumers who care about sustainability, knowing that the protein in their food comes from locally produced sources is a major win.
Faba beans are incredibly versatile, finding their way into everything from falafels to gluten-free bread. Unlike soy or pea protein, faba beans don’t need as many additives to mask their flavour, which is a huge advantage for chefs and food developers. Look at the back of a Pure Plant Protein packet, and you'll see three ingredients (less on our unflavoured option).
Faba beans also have a great texture, making them ideal for plant-based meat alternatives like burgers, sausages, and even fish substitutes. The ability to replicate that satisfying “meatiness” is one of the reasons why faba beans are being looked at quite significantly in the alternative protein space.
Nitrogen is an essential nutrient for plants, but producing artificial nitrogen fertilisers is costly and a significant source of carbon emissions. As faba beans are natural nitrogen fixers, they work in tandem with microorganisms in the soil to pull nitrogen from the air and convert it into a form that plants can use.
This process is called biological nitrogen fixation, and it means faba beans essentially "create" their own nitrogen, reducing the need for synthetic fertilisers. This doesn’t just benefit the fava crop itself, as the enriched nitrogen remains in the soil, enhancing fertility for the next round of crops giving the soil a free nutrient boost.
For farmers, this natural nitrogen production translates to significant savings on fertiliser costs and a reduction in the environmental footprint of their operations. Good soil health sets the stage for more sustainable farming systems and higher productivity across the board. Plus, the resulting flowers attract pollinators, promoting biodiversity. It really is a win for the entire ecosystem!
If sustainable farming is the goal, faba beans, which, as we've just discussed, reduce the need for synthetic nitrogen fertilisers, is one of the ways to get there.
Research has shown that fields with faba beans in their crop rotation system see a marked improvement in soil organic matter, creating a more fertile environment for future crops, such as wheat. This boost in organic matter improves the soil’s structure and promotes better water retention, reducing the risk of erosion and increasing drought resilience.
With faba beans in a crop rotation, microbial activity improves. Faba bean rotations support microbial communities, which break down organic matter and facilitate nutrient cycling, and of which contributes to long-term soil fertility.
Faba Beans significantly reduce resource usage and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions while offering an incredibly low water footprint. Producing just 1 kilogram of faba beans requires only 155 litres of water. In comparison, the production of 1 kilogram of beef requires a staggering 7,029 litres of water. Even chicken, which is often considered a more environmentally friendly animal protein, requires 1,775 litres of water per kilogram, over ten times that of faba beans.
So faba beans use significantly less water, but they also have a dramatically lower impact on greenhouse gas emissions. For example, producing just one pound (454 grams) of lamb generates 30 times more GHGs than the same amount of lentils. Beef alone accounts for 36% of all food-related GHG emissions in the United States, making the shift toward plant-based proteins like faba beans a key strategy in reducing agriculture’s contribution to climate change.
Animal agriculture is one of, if not the, biggest cause of deforestation, species extinction, and freshwater depletion. Growing faba beans and other pulses is an easy way to avoid these issues.
Faba beans are a sustainable choice for several reasons:
Nitrogen Fixation: They have the ability to fix nitrogen from the atmosphere, reducing the need for synthetic fertilisers which can be harmful to the environment.
Low Water Use: Compared to other protein sources like meat, faba beans require significantly less water to grow.
Soil Health: They improve soil health by increasing organic matter and reducing erosion.
Reduced Carbon Footprint: Their cultivation and processing generally have a lower carbon footprint compared to animal agriculture.
Faba beans offer a sustainable alternative to animal protein, helping to reduce our reliance on resource-intensive livestock farming. They can be used in a variety of plant-based foods, contributing to a more diverse and resilient food system.
By incorporating faba beans into food production, we can: