2024-03-06
The Protein Industries Cluster and the plant-based food, feed and ingredient ecosystem are moving the country closer to meeting its international climate targets and taking action to grow the economy and satisfy the increasing global demand for food. In short, they are hitting the sweet spot: more food for a hungry world, better environmental health for a changing planet, and rising revenues for Canadian producers.
A prime example of this success is the project led by Prairie Fava. The Manitoba small and medium-sized enterprise—which grows and develops fava ingredients—is working with its ecosystem partners to make fava beans an increasingly popular ingredient. High-protein, low-carbohydrate fava beans have an extremely small carbon footprint because they don't need expensive, carbon-emitting artificial nitrogen fertilizers. Foods made with fava ingredients also offer allergen-free alternatives for consumers to make plant-based proteins part of their daily eating. These fava ingredients are making their way to grocery store shelves through products such as Big Mountain Foods' first-to-market soy-free tofu.
Another example is the scale-up and commercialization of Soileos. It's a sustainable, non-polluting, climate-positive micronutrient fertilizer that is created from the upcycling of pea, lentil and oat hulls. Soileos expands crop yields, improves soil health and increases revenues for farmers and food processors. The joint venture between Lucent BioSciences, AGT Foods, NuWave Research, IN10T, and Aberhart Ag Solutions led to improved efficiency of the fertilizer by streamlining the manufacturing process, reducing energy and water usage, and expanding its availability across Western Canada. In addition, the Protein Industries Cluster supported a project that installed a new manufacturing facility in Rosetown, Saskatchewan, which produces 6,500 tons of the micronutrient fertilizer each year. The Cluster facilitated the meeting of the key partners that began the development of Soileos as a pilot project that tested feasibility.
Protein Industries Canada
Projects supporting environmental sustainability:
Commercialization of unique vegan products using fava ingredients
- Partners:
- Prairie Fava, Big Mountain Foods Ltd.
- Location:
- Glenboro, Manitoba
Upcycling Fibre From Pulse Processing into Sustainable Micronutrient Fertilizer
- Partners:
- Lucent Biosciences, AGT Food and Ingredients, INTENT Inc., Aberhart Ag Solutions, NuWave Research Inc.
- Location:
- Coquitlam, British Columbia