Could beans bring opportunities, support local people and businesses to become greener, healthier and more prosperous? That was the question discussed at an event which drew attendees from business, academia, non-profit organisations and local government to Winstanley House in the city on 25 June 2024.
The seminar, Beyond Bean Meals: Unlocking food system innovation in Leicestershire, shared highlights from Bean Meals, a University of Oxford-led research project. Conducted by food systems experts, the research aims to determine which innovations would be required across the UK food system to get more locally grown foods onto our plates.
Leicestershire collaboration
The researchers have been working closely with Leicester City Council, LLEP and Leicestershire County Council since June 2020. Pupils in six schools across the city and county have taken part in research to understand how children adapt to new foods in school lunches. Working with the county’s school catering providers has also helped researchers gain insights into how to supply locally grown ingredients for school meals.
At present we import the majority of beans consumed in the UK, including those in more than two million cans of baked beans sold every single day. As well as using imported ingredients, many brands of canned baked beans are high in salt and sugar.
Anna Cyhan, Business and Skills Engagement Manager from the Leicester and Leicestershire Business and Skills Partnership was in attendance and found the event insightful. She said:
“It was interesting to hear about the pilots to encourage Leicester and Leicestershire schools and families to utilise the beans in a wider range of recipes and understand the health benefits this will bring. The Leicester and Leicestershire area has a strong agricultural base, a thriving food and drink production sector, and excellent logistics offers. There is also an ongoing movement towards healthier options. Locally grown and sourced beans are an asset in these areas, as well as supporting green innovation across our economy.”
Good for the soil, good for business
Another focus of the research is to assess whether scaling up production of the beans, which have been developed at the University of Warwick to thrive in the UK, might create opportunities for UK farmers and other food businesses. As a nitrogen fixing crop, beans are climate friendly as well as affordable.
The project comes to a close in November 2024 and is continuing to work locally to share its findings and recommendations. The research from Leicestershire will be presented to a national audience that includes policy makers in September 2024.
