Nutrition | Research: Domestic plant protein could revolutionize the entire food chain

Finnish could produce the necessary plant proteins themselves. Nowadays, a significant part of them is imported from abroad and, for example, only a small part of legumes, for example, end up on dinner plates.

In addition, Finland imports a lot of food protein in the form of grain products, even if it could be produced in Finland as well.

According to a study commissioned by Tulevaisuustalo Sitra and carried out by Luonnonvarakeskus (Luke), it is possible to triple domestic plant protein production by 2040. It would be a huge leap towards self-sufficiency and ensuring healthy nutrition.

The change in the food system, however, requires that the entire chain from the field to the table be renewed, the researchers emphasize.

There are numerous bottlenecks, ranging from crop rotation to process technology, product development and commercialization of products.

Finland plant protein production is now only 29 percent of our total protein consumption. According to Luke, it could be as high as 98 percent.

“In order for this to succeed, actions are required throughout the food chain. In order to improve protein self-sufficiency, in addition to the development of primary production and value chains, changes are needed at the system level,” emphasizes the research manager Hanna Karikallio Read on.

In the end, according to Karikallio, it all comes down to consumer demand. The demand for plant proteins is indeed increasing, but attitudes are changing slowly.

Now more than 60 percent of the protein in the Finnish diet is of animal origin.

Food production and consumption patterns are being tested in the midst of major changes, such as the climate crisis, loss of nature and the increase in standard of living diseases.

With the Russian war of aggression and the tightening of the world situation, it is even more important for Finland to ensure sufficient domestic protein production.

At the same time, the nutritional recommendations encourage switching to a plant-based diet for health reasons.

The Nordic ones published last year nutritional recommendations recommended for health reasons a mainly plant-based diet, which includes fish, dairy products and meat in moderation.

Vegetable proteins in production, self-sufficiency now relies above all on grains.

The greatest growth potential is in legumes, such as peas and broad beans, the cultivation of which has remained low in Finland.

“Legumes have a lot of potential, but it’s really just potential. Nowadays, only a small part of their proteins ends up on the dinner plate compared to grains,” says the specialist researcher Csaba Jansik Read on.

Due to their high protein content, legumes are valuable food crops. Finns, however, only eat about a tablespoon of legumes a day.

“There is a large amount of work before the potentially produced potential can be conveyed to consumers as products that they actually buy. Investments and close cooperation of the actors in the food chain are needed. All this also requires a lot of money,” says Jansik.

“In Finland, there is a complete lack of an industrial stage that produces semi-finished products from leguminous plants for companies that manufacture final products,” adds Jansik.

According to Jansik, Finland also imports a surprising amount of food protein in the form of grain products, for example various cereals, even if it could be produced in Finland as well.

I’m reading according to the report, it is possible to triple the production area of ​​domestic protein-rich plants such as peas, broad beans, canola and rape from the current 100,000 hectares to 300,000 hectares.

Nitrogen-fixing legumes are suitable for replacing agricultural industrial fertilizers and imported protein feeds in animal nutrition and red meat in human nutrition.

Industrial nitrogen fertilizers became cheaper after the Second World War. Legumes were no longer needed to bind nitrogen in the fields.

At the same time, we abandoned the crop rotation, i.e. the rotation of crops, which helps maintain the growth condition of the soil.

Now, the full inclusion of protein plants in crop rotations plays an important role in Luke’s road map towards plant protein self-sufficiency.

New technologies are also being developed in protein production. Growing mushrooms is an efficient way to produce food, as it requires little space, water and care. Oyster vinaigrette in the University of Helsinki laboratory. Picture: Anton Kunnas / HS