Future of Food

Thanks for chatting with us today, Cyril. For starters, can you tell us about current trends in pea and faba bean production in France?

Thanks to the new CAP rules and government incentives, we saw some stimulation in the market. At the moment, the production of peas is relatively stable with a slight increase. On the other hand, farmers are facing a lot of issues economically, due to climate change. Peas are really sensitive to high temperatures. We also have the problem of Aphanomyces root rot, making the areas for growing peas both limited and not optimal for high yields. This means farmers have to respect a seven-year rotation before growing again. 

French farmers’ main interest at the moment is to introduce a different pulse crop into the rotation for its agronomic benefits like soil structuration, weed control, and nitrogen fixation. Nowadays, instead of spring pulses, more & more farmers are growing winter pulses when possible. The longer cycle allows the crop to be more resilient against climate change and Aphanomyces root rot. For RAGT, it is really important to bring solutions to the farmers, which is why we propose a unique portfolio of pulses: peas & faba beans, which are apt for both winter and spring cycles. We are currently the only company offering such a comprehensive portfolio enabling us to act internationally.  

For faba beans, the market is not very big but it has remained stable for the last decade. We saw a huge increase in winter beans, due to climate issues on the spring beans.

And when it comes to exporting, what kind of trends are you seeing right now?

Pea exports are insignificant compared to domestic use - less than 10%. 80% of French peas are grown for feeding purposes and most of them are consumed by the farmers themselves. The other 20% is for food, such as isolated protein powder. Generally, the peas grown in France stay in France.  

Similarly, for faba beans, we produce only around 160,000 to 200,000 MT. The largest percentage of exports, 25%, goes to Norway and the rest is split between food and feed. We also lost some export markets, like Egypt, in the last few years due to Bruchus, an insect which causes holes in the grains.  

What about imports?

Imports have increased to compensate for the lack of local production. We used to import 20,000 MT and that has increased to 50,000 in the last two years to help our market. 

The current strategy for France - which is the same in Europe - is to produce our protein locally, consume it locally and create added value locally. The main plan is to have protein sovereignty as well as become less dependent on soybean imports from America to reduce our carbon footprint. Exports could be an opportunity, not a strategy.

“The strategy for France right now is to produce our protein locally, consume it locally and create added value locally.”

What do we know about the average consumption of pulses in France as of 2023? 

It remains stable. At the moment, I'm happy to say that there is no decrease. I say that because, in the last four years, there has been incredible interest from food tech to innovate more in pulses and make them more healthy, original and eco-friendly. That being said, the market has been impacted by inflation in the post-COVID period and the pace of innovation has slowed somewhat. Nevertheless, in Europe, our food tech market was based on a historical ecosystem with strong foundations and I’m confident it will bounce back.

On the consumer level, we’re seeing a lot of energy from the government to push pulses in the menus of kindergartens, schools, hospitals, nursing homes and generally into the lifestyles of the people in France. But these incentives have not had a real huge impact on the market yet - it will take much more to move the needle for production. 

What are some of the challenges against increasing the consumption of pulses in France, so that it has a bigger impact on the market? 

French people much prefer eating pulses in their whole form than eating value-added products. We have a lot of meat lobbies that are challenging, for example, the vegan steaks or the veggie nuggets that are made with plant protein, arguing that there are a lot of ingredients and they are seen as ultra-processed. Affordability is also a huge challenge that the industry needs to face in the coming years!   

Can you tell us why varietal innovation is so important? 

Varietal innovation is important to maintain or increase pulse acreages and rotational frequency by improving their competitiveness with other crops through increasing yields & breaking the agronomical barrier. Thanks to 50 years of breeding at RAGT, we took several steps to improve our portfolio and help farmers produce more and more peas. For example, in peas, we innovated with the Afila types in the early 2000s, which, compared to the more leafy types, are easier and less time-consuming to harvest as they stand up perfectly.

Secondly, through varietal innovation, we can consistently improve yield performance to adapt to climate change and find other solutions to make the peas much more profitable for the farmers. In the last decade, a study from our French official institutes has shown that genetic progress improved the yield performance of peas by 25%.

“In the last decade, a study from our French official institutes has shown that genetic progress improved the yield performance of peas by 25%.”

Lastly, the protein content is a huge milestone as we can offer high protein varieties (10% more) without any yield performance decrease. 

Our main goals for the near future are to work on crop resilience by offering winter/spring pulses and propose a package of varietal resistance to plant diseases like Aphanomyces, viruses, bacteriosis, etc. 

Tell us about your database, Système d’Evaluation Variétale (SEV). What prompted RAGT to build it and how does it work? 

SEV is a global database for different species and our varieties, from the breeding side as well as the commercial side. It starts with the breeders, who enter a new variety in SEV. Then, a product expert like me challenges the breeder’s data by completing the dataset with other sources from different pedoclimatic contexts. Combining both datasets allows us to have better product positioning and suggest the right product to the right farmer. 

It's a powerful database because it gives us much more technical accuracy and allows us to modify by approach, continent, country, variety, or climatic systems. Before commercialization, we gather 200 to 300 data inputs available by traits on yield, disease, harvestability, protein content and so on. So it provides us with powerful opinions to ensure that when we want to push a solution into the market and propose something for the farmers, those solutions are trustworthy. Having scientific evidence and proof of concept is a strong part of the DNA of the company. 

How will the work that RAGT is doing now impact the way we eat in the future?

Through seed tech and breeding innovation, we can support farmers by providing a wide range of varieties and solutions to their specific conditions. We can improve our blockbuster varieties and create new ones by adding specific traits, such as precise disease tolerance, giving the farmer more security.

With better crop resilience, farmers are more incentivized to grow more peas and it will be much easier for the industries to source good quality, affordable peas. By working on taste and functionality, we can provide peas for value-added manufacturers looking to make simple-ingredient plant-based recipes and products.

Peas and faba beans have historically been overlooked in favor of much more profitable crops, however, we are seeing a shift. More focus and research projects are being done on faba beans. In the coming decades, these crops will become mainstream and evolve, genetically speaking, with more solutions than any other crops. We are very hopeful about this. 

What principles does RAGT owe its success to?

First of all, we are not alone in this field, but we are one of the pioneers. RAGT has always believed in and invested in the breeding of pulses. When other companies stopped, we didn’t. 

Product expertise is also important. We have a strong, powerful knowledge base, which enables us to bring solutions to the market. Just bringing a new variety into the market takes ten years. With such constraints, we are always updating the visions of our breeders. Our breeders at the moment are working for the future.  

All that coordination, from the breeding to the market understanding and the seed production, is vital at RAGT and is what supports our success.

Lastly, what are RAGT’s plans for expansion and growth?

We currently have a strong portfolio with Astronaute, the first variety grown in Europe, and  our high-protein variety Orchestra, which is the most widely available variety. In the next five years, our plan is to confirm our leading position in Europe and France by getting 50% of the market share. We plan to introduce our new blockbusters to the market such as the Iconic variety, which combines yield performance and excellent agronomic profile. Additionally, we are working on offering more solutions in our winter pea portfolio, which are in high demand for markets in Europe, Argentina, Canada and the U.S. As a leader, we promote pulses in order to increase acreages and market value in Europe and have a footprint outside Europe.