Imagine a Danish field in late summer: rows of green soybean plants heavy with pods, and lupins blooming in shades of purple and white. For Juliana Trindada Martins from Department of Agroecology these crops represent more than beauty: they are the seeds of a transformation in how Denmark produces and consumes protein. 

At the Plant Congress in Herning, Juliana Trindade Martins presented the ambitious project “Lupin and Soybean Pioneer: New Plant-Based Foods in Denmark.” The goal? To strengthen local protein production and reduce reliance on imported soy by building an entire value chain from field to fork. 

Why soybeans and lupins?

Denmark already grows peas and faba beans successfully. But soybeans and lupins remain rare in Danish fields. 

“We want to diversify the sources of plant-based raw materials and produce more food locally,” Juliana Trindade Martins explained. “It’s not just about growing crops; it’s about creating a system that connects cultivation, quality, food innovation, and consumer acceptance.” 

Building on experience from earlier initiatives such as GrainLegsGo, the project, launched in 2025, runs for four years and spans six work packages:

• Cultivation systems (field trials and variety selection)
• Quality analysis (protein and oil content)  
• Food innovation (collaboration with Danish companies)
• Climate impact
• Market potential,consumer preferences and economic feasibility

Soybeans in Danish soil 

In 2025, Juliana Trindade Martins and her team planted nine soybean varieties in experimental plots at AU Viborg. The varieties were chosen to fit Denmark’s short growing season, focusing on “very early” and “early” types sourced from across Europe: from a Swedish variety bred in the 1960s to a Belgian newcomer from 2024.   

The preliminary results are promising: 

• Yield: 1.8 to 3.6 tons per hectare (comparable to European averages of 2.6 t/ha and Brazil’s 3.6 t/ha).
• Protein content: 37.7% to 47.2% (global range: 30–50%).
• Oil content: 16.5% to 20%.

Early varieties harvested in September showed solid protein levels around 38%, while late varieties reached 47%, but harvesting in October is risky in Denmark’s wet autumn. 

“No one wants to harvest in October,” Juliana Trindade Martins. “Every day we were checking the weather: will it rain or not?”

Lupins: Beauty and challenges

Lupins offer another promising option. They tolerate colder sowing conditions and can be harvested earlier than soybeans. The team tested nine varieties: three white lupins and six narrow-leaved types. Yields ranged from:

• Narrow-leaved lupins: 1.8 to 3.1 t/ha
• White lupins: 3.5 to 4.2 t/ha

Protein content was lower than soybeans (31.5% to 39.2%), and oil content varied widely (0.2% to 8.8%). But the season wasn’t without setbacks: a mildew disease spread rapidly among narrow-leaved varieties, and heavy rain caused lodging in white lupins. 

“We need better crop management,” Juliana Trindade Martins noted. “Next year, we’ll test intercropping to suppress disease.”

From field to fork

The project doesn’t stop at harvest. Juliana Trindade Martins collaborates with Danish food companies to test local soybeans in tofu and whole-grain products. And the first culinary experiments have already begun: homemade tempeh by an Indonesian colleague, and crunchy soybean snacks served in the university canteen. 

“It’s exciting to see the grains becoming food,” Juliana Trindade Martins said. “That’s the whole idea: connecting farmers, researchers, and consumers.” 

What’s next?

The team will repeat trials to account for weather variability and expand to five on-farm locations across Denmark. They’ll also explore crop management strategies and continue quality and market studies. 

“The timeframe is short; just four years,” Juliana Trindade Martins said. “But the potential is huge. We hope to share more results soon.” 

More information

Read more about the project here Lupin and Soybean Pioneer: New Plant-Based Foods in Denmark

Contact:
Postdoc Juliana Trindade Martins, Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University. Email: jtm@agro.au.dk 
Communications Advisor Camilla Brodam Galacho, Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University. Tel.: +45 93522136 or mail brodam@agro.au.dk