Participatory engagement, social and community interactions

WP1 will drive the adoption of orphan legumes by engaging stakeholders - researchers, farmers, breeders, food processors, consumers, and policymakers - through participatory collaboration and community-building. It will co-create and refine OL-based solutions with end-users, form regional clusters, and host events to showcase their nutritional, culinary, and dietary benefits. A dedicated PROSPER e-hub will be developed as a user-friendly platform for knowledge exchange and stakeholder support.

​

WP1 will also promote sustainable agricultural practices across value chains by providing tools and resources that foster innovation and cooperation.

Tools for achieving transition of farming

WP3 will co-design a multi-scale platform with local stakeholders, linking climate, soil, water, and agroecosystem processes from field to regional levels.

It will develop an agro-eco-hydrological model to assess climate impacts, conduct agroecological zoning and land suitability analysis for target crops, and integrate these tools with outputs from other WPs to deliver Spatial Explicit Information Services (SEIS).

The platform will also offer a conceptual guidance framework tailored to the needs of different user groups.​

​​​​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Promoting OLs

Policy and

socio-economic tools

WP5 will strengthen orphan legume value chains through targeted political and socio-economic measures.

It will create a blockchain-based supply chain system and an immersive Virtual Reality tool to promote OLs, facilitate multi-stakeholder collaboration for new policy opportunities, and design labelling strategies for novel OL-based products.

The WP will also assess stakeholder needs and expectations, and evaluate the socio-economic impacts of PROSPER solutions, ensuring their economic viability and contribution to sustainable agriculture, food security, and societal well-being.

Dissemination, exploitation, communication and clustering activities

WP7 will ensure PROSPER’s lasting impact by leading outreach, communication, and exploitation efforts. It will engage key stakeholders through targeted materials and channels, develop plans for sustaining project results, foster collaboration with related initiatives, and create the PROSPER Innovation Hub to support ongoing innovation and knowledge sharing across Europe.​​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Genetic material, breeding and

performance assessment

Description: WP2 will boost the use and resilience of orphan legumes by identifying key quality traits, developing advanced breeding tools, and applying innovative agroecological practices. By harnessing genetic and epigenetic diversity, it will create climate-smart strategies suited to varied environmental conditions. Activities include building and characterising OL collections, pinpointing improvement targets, generating phenotype- and genotype-based predictions to enhance their value, and designing sustainable crop and land management protocols to optimise production and climate resilience

​

​

Sustainability & resilience of OLs

Description: WP4 will enhance the sustainability and resilience of orphan legumes by assessing their performance, ecosystem services, and value chain benefits across different farming systems. It will measure ecosystem services and environmental impacts through Life Cycle Assessment, comparing OLs to conventional crops.

The work will include detailed value chain analyses covering energy use, waste management, resilience, nutritional value, and profit distribution. Using advanced tools such as Earth observation, real-time sensors, and geospatial analysis, WP4 will evaluate factors like soil health, carbon storage, water management, biodiversity, and climate regulation. Specific impact indicators will be developed to monitor benefits and sustainability gains in PROSPER farming systems.

New products:

Widening the value

of OLs

WP6 will unlock the potential of orphan legumes by creating innovative food and non-food products with improved nutritional and health benefits, using advanced, sustainable processing methods tailored to consumer preferences. It will enhance OL nutritional profiles, identify optimal uses for functional foods, and develop novel products through molecular gastronomy, fermentation, and by-product valorisation. Products will be validated through sensory testing and socio-demographic analysis to ensure market appeal. WP6 will also promote sustainability by reducing waste, supporting commercialisation, and fostering market adoption.

Project management

WP8 will coordinate the consortium to ensure smooth project execution and effective communication with the European Commission and stakeholders.

It will oversee administrative, legal, and financial compliance, facilitate partner collaboration and meetings, manage risks, and support dissemination and public engagement efforts.​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​