Legumes – Swiss farmers’ secret weapon against climate change

A group of farmers is betting on lentils and chickpeas as part of the solution to climate change in Switzerland. Such legumes are both drought-resistant and protein-rich but growing them is anything but easy. Amid rising temperatures, legumes are taking root in Switzerland: hot, dry summers favour plants such as lentils, chickpeas and lupins, while thirsty crops like potatoes, beets or corn are yielding increasingly poor harvests – which also leads to increased prices for consumers. Around the world, similar trends are taking hold. Global legumes production increased by about 60% between 2000 and 2021, including in areas outside the global South where the food is more traditional. Canada considers legumes “the future food” and has massively increased its cultivation since 2015, becoming the world’s second-largest legumes producer after India. Northern Europe is tipped to become more favorable for legume production than the South due to climate change. Countries such as Denmark, The ...