Three Farmers, Prairie Fava, DL Seeds, and PIC collaborate on fava bean innovation project

Protein Industries Canada announces a new co-investment into advancing the Canadian fava bean ecosystem. Building on the success of past projects, partners Prairie Fava, DL Seeds and Three Farmers are coming together to test the functionality of new fava bean varieties for use in consumer-facing products, particularly snack foods.

“By bolstering the cultivation and processing of fava beans for use in Canadian ingredients and food, this project will increase the selection of healthy and sustainable food options for Canadians,” said François-Philippe Champagne, innovation, science and industry minister. “Projects like these show how Protein Industries Canada and its partners’ innovative approaches to food will not only increase Canadians’ access to nutritious options, but also build stronger and more resilient supply chains in Canada and abroad.”

As a crop growing in both acreage and use in plant-based products, fava is an ideal option for innovative work in the ingredient and finished goods market. Prairie Fava is building on this by growing DL Seeds’ fava varieties and then utilizing them in their patented processing methods, testing them for functionality and feeding information back to DL Seeds in order to inform new variety development. They’ll then supply Three Farmers with fava ingredients for further functionality testing in Three Farmers’ line of snack foods.

“Prairie Fava, DL Seeds and Three Farmers have taken a full value chain approach to strengthening the fava bean supply chain and market in Canada—an approach that’s needed if we’re going to make Canada truly competitive in the global plant protein space,” said Protein Industries Canada CEO Bill Greuel. “By working together across the ecosystem, crop breeders, ingredient manufacturers and food processors can capture the growing global protein opportunity, while providing consumers with a variety of healthy, high-protein snack options.”

The development of each the new varieties, ingredients and finished products will strengthen the supply of fava beans in the Canadian market, helping meet the rising demand for new sources of sustainable protein. The project will also enable each company to scale its product offerings and operations, including at Three Farmers’ recently opened facility in Saskatoon. Together, the partners will create new jobs and new opportunities for Canadians.

A total of $13.2 million has been committed to the project, with Protein Industries Canada investing $5.4 million and the partners investing the remainder.

“Three Farmers is thrilled to embark on this journey with our new Protein Industries Canada consortium, dedicated to amplifying production and innovation in the realm of fava beans as a value-added food item. We remain committed to enhancing the agricultural landscape of the prairies, continuously adding value to crops and fostering growth for our communities,” said Three Farmers founder and CEO Natasha Vandenhurk.