In 2021, France was the N° 1 producer of European pulses. With its 443 000 ha (over 1 000 000 acres), France produces 1.2 Mt of grains (soybean, peas, faba bean, lupin) of the 6 Mt produced in Europe. France is the N° 1 European producer of peas and the N° 2 producer of soybean and faba beans. Three-quarter of its surfaces are occupied by forage legumes (alfalfa,clover ....) cultivated in sewed prairies which are the most often directly used by ruminant breeders. However, Europe still has a large deficit for some plant crop proteins therefore being dependent on importations (this is true for soybean and lentils for example) depsite an increase in production surfaces in recent years. Culture of forage legumes do, however, present advantages i) environmental: they contribue to the diversity in rotations and soil fertility, they have the ability to establish a symbiosis with soil bacteria capable of fixing nitrogen from the air, ii) as foods for both animals and humans.

Today these agriculture and agri-food sectors must meet the challenges of increasing their production using agro-ecoogical practices to meet the needs of human and animal nutrition. Why is cultivating them important and how do we favor the development of these sectors? What solutions favor the introduction of a diversity of pulses or forage legumes in crop rotation ? These are some of the most important present and future questions. The focus is on a variety of legumes, including protein crops such as peas, faba beans, lupins, soybeans and pulses (lentils, beans, chickpeas, etc. ), forage crops such as alfalfa, red clover and white clover.

The interdisciplinery pulse group has INRAE members from eight of its research divisions (ACT, AGROECOSYSTEM, ALIMH, BAP, ECOSOCIO, MICA, PHASE, TRANSFORM). It is aimed at building a reflection on knowledge fronts and the challenges of pulse development contributing to agriculture and agri-food systems that are both healthy and sustainable. This group regularly involves actors downstream of the sector, interprofessions, technical institutes of plant and animal sectors, agri-foods, agriculture associations, industries, GNO, press, etc. The members of the pulse group are regularly called upon for their expertise at seminars, symposia and workshops with stakeholders from the agricultural world. They also actively participate in the organisation of the "Rencontres Francophones Légumineuses" (French-speaking Pulse Meeting) in partnership with CIRAD, Terres Univia and Terres Inovia. The latest meeting was held from the 22 to 24 January, 2024 in Dakar, Senegal. The group also participates in inter-group studies such as "Agroécologie et marchés" in 2023 for which a seminar was held and an article was published. 

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