the Danish Legume Partnership

Welcome to

Uniting for legumes - towards a better planet and a healthier population

Will you join the journey?

All communication in the Danish Legume Partnership is in danish, however we always welcome interested stakeholders to contact us on baelgfrugtspartnerskabet@taenk-frej.dk

The Danish Veterinary and Food Administration recommends that everyone eats 100 grams of legumes daily – for both our health and the climate! Yet, in Denmark, we only consume 2–5 grams per day, and legumes are rarely a staple in Danish diets anymore.

That’s why Think Tank Frej and Lidl launched the Danish Legume Partnership in 2024.

The goal was to create a community that unites the entire value chain to drive change. To ensure progress, partners committed to setting individual, actionable goals to bring more legumes to Danish plates. And it worked!

Today there are more than 70 engaged partners - and there’s room for more.

Collaborating for change
The partnership’s vision is to improve public health and the climate by increasing Danes’ legume consumption and strengthening local production. To achieve this, we have one clear objective: 100 grams of legumes per day for everyone. But reaching this target requires collaboration across the entire value chain – from farms to cafeterias, from retail to consumers.

Will you join us in creating a healthier and more sustainable future? Together, we can make a difference!

Behind the Danish Legume Partnership

What is the deal with legumes?

CO2
Legumes are a climate-friendly choice, as their production has a relatively low carbon footprint. Producing 1 kg of legumes emits just 1.6 kg of CO2e – 38 times less than 1kg of beef which requires 61 kg CO2e.
Opportunities
Legumes are incredibly versatile and come in many varieties. They can be incorporated into almost any meal, even the water used for soaking them has valuable and useful qualities that can be utilised in cooking. And, they can even be produced locally in Denmark.
Nutritional value
Legumes, specifically pulses, are rich in protein, iron, and zinc – just like meat. They’re also packed with other essential nutrients, including dietary fibre, potassium, and folate.

“This is about changing food culture. It requires collaboration, discussion, and challenging each other to achieve the partnership’s goals together.”

- Christina Tønner Jensen, Project Manager for the Danish Legume Partnership

The Danish Legume Partnership are now

72

partners!

What do our partners say?

“There is an exciting challenge in combining great taste, health, and convenience. We solve this best through joint efforts.”

— Jens Madsen, Sales Director, DAVA Foods Food Service & Export

"We need to include legumes when envisioning amazing dining experiences, fostering curiosity, and, most importantly, ensuring accessibility.”

— Malte Sejer Sørensen, Food Development & Sustainability Specialist, ISS Denmark

“Aarhus Municipality has been working to incorporate more legumes into the meals we serve daily to various groups, from our youngest residents to our oldest. This is a process that requires a collective effort, not only from food professionals but from the entire food system, so that eating 100 grams of legumes a day becomes the norm.”

— Bente Kramer Møller, Project Manager; climate friendly and sustainable meals, Aarhus Municipality


“The work with legumes has the potential to simultaneously address several significant societal challenges rooted in our shared food culture.”

— Jonas Astrup, Development and Innovation Manager, Meyers Food House

"On an international scale, the Danish Legume Partnership is unique, and I hope it will prove to be a valuable model for other countries on how to promote legume consumption among their populations.”

— Katrine Ejlerskov, Centre manager, Danish Centre for a Plant-Based & Organic Future