The Bean Project

Context

• We must rethink our agricultural practices and what we grow in Quebec in order to increase our food autonomy.

• Farmers need to see that there are stable, profitable opportunities in Quebec for new local crops to help reassure them that taking on a new crop will be worth it.

Opportunities

• Growing grains and pulses for human consumption, such as dry beans, has regenerative effects on our agricultural soil and provides local sources of protein and nutrients.

• The food services at Quebec institutions are an important market for these legumes, as they provide a large number of meals every day, which can be packed with plant protein and whole grains.

To bring about fundamental changes in the way we produce, process and consume our food

As part of the Bean Project, Équiterre is working with institutions, farmers and producers throughout the supply chain, in order to facilitate:

• the creation of supply networks;

• meetings between stakeholders;

• farm tours;

• activities that raise awareness about local field crops.

Support tools are also made available to institutions and producers to help them better understand the issues surrounding the transition to a system that promotes healthy eating and regenerative agriculture for biodiversity, the local economy and the climate. These include:

a web page; profiles of a farmer and an institution participating in the project; webinars; an informational guide produced at the end of the project.

At the same time, through the Commun’Assiette project, Équiterre is working with institutions in education, post-secondary and health and social services networks to help them overcome the barriers to introducing local foods, such as dried beans, into their menus and kitchen practices. We are also working closely with intermediaries in the supply chain (grain hubs, processors, and distributors), to support development of the marketing chain and help meet the targets for purchasing Quebec-produced food that are contained in the Stratégie nationale d'achat d'aliments québécois (SNAAQ).