The world’s population is expected to reach 10 billion by 2050. Food supply will need to come from current arable land, with little potential for future expansion. To meet the growing demand for food and tackle the adverse effects of climate change on crop yields, it is imperative to develop new crops with better drought resistance. It is also imperative to limit the consumption of meat and promote the consumption of vegetable proteins to reduce the environmental impact of our diet.Common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) are the most widely produced and consumed grain legumes in the world. Rich in fibers, proteins and certain micronutrients, common beans also contain phytates, tannins and saponins that can limit the bioavailability of micronutrients from the same meal. The main objective of the project is to develop new lines of bio-fortified, nutritionally improved and drought resistant beans that could be consumed in balanced diets.
he C2VN will coordinate the Nutrition work package of the project (Dr Emmanuelle Reboul, Team 1). We will characterize the nutritional profiles of these new bean lines on the basis of their nutritional composition but also considering micronutrient bioavailability, and we will develop optimized recipes for healthy and sustainable meal planning.