Sowing Change: How Legumes Could Transform School Food and Farming Futures.

Emma Cantillion - Schools Food Web Lead

Earlier this month I was lucky enough to attend the Legumes Initiative Workshop at Reading University. There was plenty of newness for me there as I had some ( I do have more now!) knowledge but nowhere near the levels that were in the room. Daphne, SGFP Partnership Lead and Co-director had kindly primed me with questions, insights and the bubbling of an idea forming.

The workshop elements and speakers inspired me, and I started to wonder, with my Schools Food Web hat on, and Daphne's ideas, how we could pilot something at a community level up, rather than wait for the top down directives that might not ever happen. The holistic nature of the work we have been doing in schools, the work with farmers in the Shropshire Hills National Landscape, local farm clusters, the need for change in diet and farming practices could tie up very nicely.

Legumes—such as lentils, chickpeas, peas, and beans—are small but mighty allies in the move towards healthier, more sustainable food systems. As climate change, soil degradation, and dietary-related illnesses challenge both our farming and education systems, legumes can offer a simple, scalable solution.

But how?

Maybe by connecting regenerative farmers with schools? Could we ensure local procurement, de-risking for those farmers trialing new crops, educating the next generation on nutrition, sustainability, and food resilience?

The Food Systems Compass, which is part of the BeanMeals Toolkit for Sustainable Food Places gives us a framework to understand and maximise these benefits.

“The Food Systems Compass is a holistic tool that highlights how our food systems intersect with six key areas: environment, economy, health, society, culture, and knowledge. Legumes do stand out across this compass:

Environmental: Legumes naturally fix nitrogen in soil, improving fertility, structure, and biodiversity.

Health: Rich in protein, fibre, iron, and folate—ideal for growing children and disease prevention.

Economic: Low-cost to grow and buy, particularly in bulk, with strong returns in diversified farming systems.

Social: Can boost community engagement through education, growing, cooking, and shared meals.

Knowledge: Link farming to learning through visits, lessons, and inter-generational storytelling.

Cultural: Bring variety and creativity to school menus with familiar and global dishes.”

A Regenerative Opportunity for Farmers?

For regenerative farmers, legumes enrich crop rotations, support soil health, and reduce dependence on costly inputs. Yet trialing a new legume crop can be risky without a clear market. By linking schools directly to farms through guaranteed procurement contracts, could we create a win-win: secure demand for farmers and consistent, nutritious food for schools. Schools are uniquely positioned to act as anchor institutions for local food economies. By committing to purchasing produce from nearby regenerative farms, they could:

- Guarantee a market for farmers to trial new crops

- Support shorter supply chains and reduce food miles

- Secure affordable, plant-based protein options

- Shape real-world sustainability education

Legumes on the Plate: A School Food Superpower

Legumes are one of the most cost-effective and climate-smart ingredients available. In schools, they offer:

- High protein and fibre content—ideal for balanced, filling meals

- Extremely low cost per serving when dried and cooked in bulk

- Long shelf life and minimal waste

- Flexible use in soups, stews, burgers, dips, and bakes

- Suitable for vegetarian, vegan, halal, and allergy-sensitive diets

- Appealing textures and flavours when properly seasoned and introduced through fun, engaging menus

On-Farm and In-Classroom Learning

By connecting farm procurement to education, pupils gain direct experience of the food system. Programmes can include:

- Farm visits to see legumes grown in a regenerative system

- School garden projects linked to legume growing

- Science lessons on soil health and nitrogen fixation

- Cooking workshops and taste tests

- Cross-curricular activities in geography, biology, PSHE and citizenship

Of course it is not as easy as all that, there’s a great deal of scoping, talking and research to be done, from planting to processing. But wouldn’t it be great, watch this space!