Less than optimal breeding efforts have so far been invested by public and private breeders for legume species.
This hampers the economic sustainability of legume-based farming systems, and their added value remains largely underexploited as stated in numerous EU reports.
In this context, improved methodologies but also governance of legume breeding sector could improve its competitiveness. The delivery of genetic progress, once obtained by breeders, also requires adequate public policies for variety registration and efficient dissemination of information to extension services, feed and food industries and farmers.
In this context, Belis has three objectives:
1. To develop tools and methodologies for cost-effective breeding programmes and deliver proofs of concept, with and for breeders.
2. To facilitate the economic regulatory environment variety registration, variety recommendation and business models
3. To implement an efficient, ambitious and durable transfer of innovation through the BELIS platform that includes a network of breeders and actors from scientific research, extension services and seed, food and feed industries, as well as a training portfolio.
The project focuses on seven forage crops and seven grain crop that are currently grown to produce feed (for ruminants – cattle, sheep, goat and monogastric animals – pig, poultry), food (as is or after processing) or to deliver ecosystem services.