From fava beans to future foods: researchers turn to plant-based proteins for a healthier planet

Crops like chickpeas, fava beans, lentils and quinoa could help make Europe’s food systems more environmentally friendly and sustainable.

By Michael Allen

On Marianne Mulhall’s organic dairy farm in southeast Ireland, the winter wheat crop is looking better than usual. By spring, it is often a bit yellow and withered, a sign that it is nitrogen deficient.

This year’s wheat ­– sown on a field where fava beans and peas