Peas (Pisum sativum) belong to the legume family (pulses) and have been part of human diet for centuries. These protein-rich seeds are characterised by their high protein content: 25% on average. Yellow peas have thus become indispensable over the past decades because of their essential nutrients content and their positive environmental impact.
No need for further evidence, the cultivation of vegetable raw materials has a lower environmental impact than animal husbandry: land use, energy or water consumption, etc. Legumes – including yellow peas – also have a unique ability to “fix” nitrogen (necessary for protein synthesis) from the air thanks to the symbiotic relationships with the nitrogen-fixing bacteria colonising the plant roots.
As a result, these crops use less fertilizer, which has an immediate positive impact on soil quality. In addition, during crop rotation, growing peas therefore drastically reduces the use of pesticides for subsequent crops. Lastly, the amount of water required for peas to grow to maturity is relatively low compared to other vegetable crops… In other words, not only are peas an ideal element of a healthy diet, they are also sustainable!
Yellow peas are a preferred source of protein with an average 25% content in the seeds. The minimal impact of pea crops on the environment makes pea protein a particularly sustainable source of nutrients. See for yourself:
Sustainability is at the heart of COSUCRA’s philosophy, which is why we are committed to providing our customers with the best ingredients from yellow peas. For the most part, we act sustainably on three main levels: pea selection, transport and production process.
Our peas are carefully selected through our crop collecting partners from France and the rest of Europe, according to our own quality standards. Our agronomists are constantly in contact with crop suppliers to make sure that the selection and quality assurance process for yellow peas never falters. Our crop collecting partners are also members of the supply chain – a guarantee of high quality!
Since our plant is located close to the Scheldt river, most of our pea supplies are delivered by barge, which allows us to minimise road transport. River transport for our raw materials? A good way to reduce our carbon footprint. In fact, we have increased our supplies by waterways in recent years. Today, more than 80% of bulk supplies come by barge!
Unlike other types of plant-based protein, pea protein extraction does not require the use of organic solvents, such as hexane. Our manufacturing process is therefore solely based on the physical separation of the pea compounds. As a result, we are able to not only guarantee the nutritional value of the extracted protein, but also limit our environmental impact.
