VEG&LAIT mobilizes on participating farms!

The VEG&LAIT project aims to co-construct a small-chain of mixed desserts based on milk and legumes, produced and processed in short circuits to reconcile autonomy, taste and nutritional qualities, preservation of the environment and maintenance of a close link with consumers. Launched in March 2024 for a 5-year period, the project began with an ex-ante evaluation phase on farms belonging to the Invitation à la Ferme network, with or without processing practices. Sydney Girard (UR ETTIS), accompanied by a group of students from Institut Agro, criss-crossed the region to carry out these diagnoses during the first year. The parallel arrivals of Blandine, Maïté and Gabrielle to carry out field and lab experiments have ushered in a new phase of coupled innovations for VEG&LAIT, enriched by the results of the market study and a hunt for innovations also conducted or initiated in 2024.

Blandine, Maïté and the Agronomy team receive support from the Chambres d'Agriculture de Bretagne and Grand Est to prepare spring sowing. Gabrielle and the STLO team receive equally valuable support from the LEGGO Association, the Probiolor cooperative and partner Valorex in preparing and using legume ingredients.

This coupled innovation work will continue over 2 crop years and should lead to the selection of products and scenarios to be evaluated with the ETTIS, CSGA and SECALIM units to assess the progress made. The VEG&LAIT project benefits from the ANR-23-PLEG-0006 grant awarded by the Agence Nationale de la Recherche as part of the France 2030 investment plan. Five INRAE units are involved (Agronomy, CSGA, ETTIS, SECALIM and STLO) with Invitation à la Ferme, Terres Inovia and Valorex, and the support of the LEGGO Association.