Growing up in Lisbon, Cata Gorgulho never gave much thought to the ubiquitous lupin, which the Portuguese often serve with a glass of beer or wine. The yellow beans were so common that they were known as the "seafood for the poor."
Years later, however, the pulse became her obsession. The shift in attitude came when Gorgulho turned vegan.
Struggling with her change in diet, she found that swapping meat for lentils and chickpeas left her feeling constantly bloated.
Researching her symptoms online, she came across an ad hailing the nutritional qualities of a lupins, a protein top-up that is low in lectins – a carbohydrate-binding substance that is commonly known to cause bloating and indigestion. After switching from lentils to lupins, she started to feel better.
It was then that her relationship with the yellow bean changed.
"In Portugal, it's deeply ingrained in our culture to enjoy lupins as a snack. I grew up thinking they were unhealthy, largely due to their association with beer," she tells mega.
"But lupins are an incredible regenerative crop. They are rich in protein and fibre, offering a nutritional profile as complete as soy."
So taken was she with the bean’s potential as a sustainable food source that she decided to build a business around it. She named her start-up Tarwi, the word for lupin in the South American language of Quechua.
The London-based company mass produces lupin-based dips, snacks and protein powder, with the aim of competing in the rapidly growing global plant-based protein market, which is projected to reach a value of USD 40 billion within the next five years.1
Lupins: a bittersweet tale
Lupins have the promising potential to rival soybeans as the world’s most consumed plant-based protein.
Gorgulho points to the nutty beans’ high nutrient density, with protein accounting for 40 per cent of calorific content, rivalling soy. Fibre accounts for 30 per cent, twice as much as soy. Lupins also provide all 10 of the amino acids essential to our diet that humans cannot produce.
Lupins are also easier to cultivate, Gorgulho explains. Soybeans prefer warm climates and require a lot of nitrogen to grow. Lupins, on the other hand, tend to thrive in cold, moist environments, and some varieties can even withstand frost. Lupins have the ability to “fix” nitrogen, a natural ecosystem function that enriches the soil. A study has shown that incorporating lupins as a rotational crop enhances soil fertility, improves water access and prevents root diseases in subsequent crops.2
"It's a virtuous cycle. Farmers don't need to rely on fertilisers and experience higher yields in subsequent harvests. Additionally, they gain an additional source of revenue,” Gorgulho says.
“Lupins are the heroes of regenerative agriculture.”
Despite these advantages, lupins have yet to make an impact in the plant-based plate. Many varieties contain bitter and often toxic alkaloids, which must be painstakingly removed before consumption. However, advances in food technology may soon eliminate this drawback.
Scientists have identified a gene responsible for producing bitter compounds in lupins. A genetic mutation can transform bitter lupins into sweet ones.3
Gorgulho collaborates with a seed company that has developed sweet lupin varieties, eliminating the need for the de-bittering process.
Another limitation has been the lack of lupin production in Europe, resulting in an unreliable supply to the food industry.
Tarwi, for example, sources lupins from Australia, as a small Portuguese farmer it initially worked with reached her production capacity within just one week.
To address this challenge, Tarwi is actively promoting local production with the aim of transitioning to 100 per cent local sourcing in the future.
Historically, the low price of lupin grains and European policies favouring imported soy discouraged local lupin cultivation. However, increasing soybean prices, concerns about deforestation linked to intensified soy production and food security issues have rekindled interest in growing lupins in Europe.
Consequently, Europe's share of global lupin production grew to 28 per cent in 2021 from 17 per cent in 2011.4 Soybeans currently trade at around USD 500-600 per tonne, whereas lupins typically cost around 70 per cent less.
The better hummus?
Traditionally, lupins are consumed as a pickled snack, often sold in brine-filled buckets or jars. Tarwi avoids chemical additives and relies on high-pressure pasteurisation – a non-thermal food preservation method that effectively eliminates food-spoiling microorganisms, ensuring a longer shelf life.
Tarwi sells lupin-based hummus (which it calls Lummus) at Whole Foods Market stores in London and other specialist food retailers, targeting Britons who are the largest consumers of hummus in Europe, accounting for 40 per cent of sales.5
“How is it possible that I grew up with lupins and avoided them for so long? People don't think much about lupins because there hasn't been a modern brand to promote them,” Gorgulho says.
“I want to create a modern brand that resonates with contemporary consumers."
Investment Insights
By Mayssa Al Midani, Senior Investment Manager, Thematic Equities at Pictet Asset Management
- Our global food system is one of the largest single levers we have to address major environmental and societal challenges. Various policy targets to tackle environmental and human health crises – such as the EU target to halve food waste per capita by 2030 – are leading to increased government investment in new technologies and solutions.
- There is investment in new solutions, geared to strengthening supply chains, raising production standards and reducing waste. Technologies to extend shelf-life and prevent spoilage or innovative packaging solutions are some of these examples.
- Consumer taste and behaviour are also changing. Demand for plant-based alternatives is growing as consumers such as millennials and Gen-Z have become more aware of their own health and the environment. The influential Eat-Lancet Commission report on food recommended a plant-based diet where whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes comprise a greater proportion of foods than meat and dairy to improve the health of people and the planet.
