InFaba is testing how British-grown faba beans can replace imported soya in dairy diets, cutting feed emissions while maintaining animal performance, farm practicality and commercial viability.
Early findings from InFaba point to a potential commercial opportunity for British-grown faba beans to replace imported soya products in dairy diets.
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Nine months into the Defra-funded programme, laboratory experiments have not shown the anticipated methane reductions from bean hulls. Further tannin research is planned, alongside wider investigation of hulls as a substitute for imported soya hulls.
Controlled feeding trials are being developed at SRUC, with more emphasis expected on FabaPass, a heat-treated whole bean with potential to replace imported protein sources.
More than 30 farms in the Tesco Sustainable Dairy Group have volunteered for commercial trials. Müller and McArthur BDC will work with farmers and nutritionists to develop suitable comparisons.
Meanwhile, the 2026 crop samples have been harvested for protein and dehulling analysis. Environmental modelling and planned economic assessment will examine whether these feeds can reduce emissions and dependence on imports at an acceptable cost without reducing animal performance.