Moving More Lentils: Progress & Priorities in Europe

Work is underway to expand opportunities for Canadian pulses in the European Union and United Kingdom, particularly for lentils, while addressing regulatory and policy barriers that continue to impede market access.

In February, the European Commission released a new Vision for Agriculture focused on enhancing the competitiveness and resilience of EU agriculture. The vision marks a shift from the 2020 Farm to Fork strategy and its prescriptive targets. However, it maintains barriers to the use of crop protection products and has potential to introduce additional trade-related risks, including the use of reciprocal measures. While these developments add complexity, they also open the door to opportunity. The proposal to develop an EU protein strategy could present opportunities for Canadian pulses to play a greater role in Europe’s food system.

Recent data points to strong consumer interest in lentils across the region. A 2024 study commissioned by Pulse Canada found that 30% of consumers in the UK and Germany eat lentils weekly, and over half view them as healthy and nutritious. Lentils are showing up in an expanding range of products—snacks, baked goods, plant-based burgers, and more. According to Mintel, 65% of global lentil product launches now come from Europe, led by the UK, France, and Germany.

These trends highlight a growing appetite for plant-based, nutritious, and sustainable ingredients—an area where Canadian pulses are well positioned to lead.

Strategic Outreach Across Europe

This spring, Pulse Canada led targeted outreach across Europe with three key objectives:

• Promote Canadian pulses and strengthen commercial interest

• Understand the implications of the new policy direction

• Advocate for trade-facilitative approaches impeding growth

This included a series of meetings with European food companies, trade representatives, European Union parliamentarians, Member State governments and officials from the European Commission’s departments of Health, Trade, and Agriculture.

In April, Pulse Canada, Cereals Canada and the Canola Council of Canada carried out joint outreach in Brussels to raise concerns about reciprocal trade measures and share information on Canada’s contribution to Europe's food and nutrition security. The mission included a high-level luncheon, with introductory remarks by Canada’s Embassy to the EU, where the importance of the Canadian European trade relationship and opportunities to strengthen it were highlighted.

Showcasing the Value of Canadian Lentils

To better understand the commercial potential for Canadian lentils in value-added food markets, Pulse Canada met directly with European food companies and retailers. As part of this engagement, Pulse Canada presented the value of Canadian lentils and lentil ingredients across a broad range of food product categories, in particular for ready-to-eat and snack, and meat applications. The strong sustainability profile of Canadian lentils was also highlighted, including recent life cycle assessment (LCA) data. An LCA measures the full environmental impact of a product, providing reliable data on resource use and emissions. The LCAs show that Canadian lentils maintain a low carbon footprint even after accounting for transportation to Europe. This data is a critical component for illustrating the advanced growing practices in Canada.

The team also presented LCA data and more at the Bridge2Food conference—a leading forum for food industry and R&D stakeholders. The presentation focused on regenerative agriculture, emphasizing how Canadian growers are already implementing many of these practices, such as no-till and diversified crop rotations, that build soil health, enhance biodiversity, and support long-term resilience.

Hosting Key EU Stakeholders in Canada

Pulse Canada joined a study tour organized by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) for key EU government and industry stakeholders. The tour included meetings with AAFC researchers, farm visits in Alberta, and a sustainable agriculture conference in Ottawa.

The delegation visited a pulse and grain farm hosted by former Pulse Canada chair Kevin Auch, where they observed both irrigated and dryland systems, learned about prairie crop rotations, and saw first-hand the role of no-till practices and precision nutrient management for soil health and emissions reduction. The tour reinforced the value of regionally tailored approaches and highlighted the importance of outcome-based policy frameworks that support diverse agricultural systems.

Keeping Canada Competitive

Through continued collaboration with government and industry partners, Pulse Canada continues to advance a fact-based, trade-enabling approach to agricultural policy in Europe — helping ensure Canadian pulses remain a reliable and competitive option for buyers in high-value markets.