OM B76

The present booklet reports the results of the project named MEDIET, funded by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and conducted by the CIHEAM Bari during the years 2023-2025. The project was aimed to investigate, in the mediterranean countries, about: i) the environmental and socio-economic sustainability of legume production; ii) the nutritional, anti-nutritional, and nutraceutical characteristics of local cultivated legumes varieties. The target legumes were beans, chickpeas, cowpeas, faba beans and lentils. Fifteen countries were involved belonging to Maghreb, Mashreq and Balkan regions. Results clearly show important differences in terms of environmental impact and economical sustainability in the legume production, according t o the legume species and production area. Finally, the report shows the important existing variability of nutritional data within the same species as the effect of the different locally cultivated varieties. The main objective o f the work consisted i n improving the knowledge level related to the benefits deriving from the inclusion of legume consumption in human's diet both in terms of human's and planet health.