Dry, sandy and nutrient-poor soils dominate in Brandenburg. This circumstance plus climate change call for appropriate crops that can cope with these conditions. These include buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum). This pseudo-cereal, which originates from Asia, is rich in carbohydrates and proteins as well as minerals and vitamins. Buckwheat is therefore ideal for the production of high-energy, protein-rich and gluten-free foods.

At present, buckwheat is hardly cultivated in Brandenburg, although it offers a number of advantages: The crop is undemanding in terms of soil and nutrient requirements, highly competitive against weeds and hardly susceptible to disease. The generously white-flowering plant also attracts numerous insects. Buckwheat also scores highly in terms of nutrients. It offers a lot of crude protein and high levels of essential amino acids such as lysine, methionine, threonine and tryptophan, comparable to soya beans. Buckwheat is also gluten-free – important for allergy sufferers – and is also suitable as animal feed.

The project “Buckwheat – cultivation and processing of buckwheat from a climate protection perspective” has set itself the goal of increasing the cultivation of this crop in Brandenburg’s fields. The aim is to promote the exchange of expertise between regional farmers, mills and processing companies in order to identify the challenges of cultivation and processing. In addition, the project participant.