Project
Post harvest
Intercropping involves growing two or more crops in proximity on the same field and is an important way in boosting cultivated biodiversity. Aim of this project is to evaluate possible implications of intercropping for the food chain from crop, via processing and ingredients, to food products and to key actors such as consumers.
Focus will be on the high protein crops, namely cereals and pulses. A vision will be provided (in the form of a power-point report) on implications of harvested batch diversification, the necessary cleaning and separation of the raw materials, the risk of allergens and the possibilities for co-processing of different crops at the same time. This will be substantiated by proof-of-principles, namely small-scale production of different food products and small scale separation experiments of mixtures of crops.
Different types of studies will be performed to get insights in how to achieve possible consumer adaptations towards biodiversity positive foods: focus group discussions with consumers; survey focusing on consumers associations and attitudes regarding biodiversity positive foods and key actors; consumer food journey study to measure subconscious responses next to declarative ones when comparing mono-cropping of wheat with strip-cropping. Outcomes will be included in the aforementioned report and next to that we aim at an scientific paper on the consumer journey study.