Three French seed companies join forces with Sofiprotéol and the support of the oilseed and protein crop sector to accelerate pea cultivation

Paris, 12/16/2025 – The PeaBoost Economic Interest Group (GIE) announces that it has obtained the support of the Ministry of Agriculture, Agri-food and Food Sovereignty, with an initial public grant of 5 million euros to fund its Pea4Ever research program.

This program is part of the National Plant Protein Strategy, which aims to double the area of grain legumes by 2030. Created in February 2024 at the initiative of three seed companies Limagrain, Florimond Desprez and RAGT, with the support of Sofiprotéol, a financing and development company for the oilseed and protein crop sector, the PeaBoost GIE officially launched Pea4Ever in September 2024. The first crossing and trial activities are already underway.

Its objective: to develop productive and consistent pea varieties, in order to improve its performance and restore farmers' confidence in this strategic crop. Protein peas, rich in plant proteins, are a major asset for sustainable agriculture and healthy food. In addition to their nutritional qualities, they contribute to low-carbon ambitions thanks to their ability to naturally fix atmospheric nitrogen, thus limiting the use of nitrogen fertilizers.

A collective mobilization of sector stakeholders

The exceptional nature of the program lies in the scale of the initiative, the number of partners it brings together, and the originality of its structure.

In order to increase the yield potential of peas and improve their stability, the first step of the Pea4Ever program consists of pooling the knowledge, tools and genetic resources of its seed company members. This unprecedented collaborative approach meets the needs of farmers and is aligned with the strategy of the oilseed and protein crop sector.

The program also benefits from the support of the interprofessional organization Terres Univia and the Federation of Oilseed and Protein Crop Producers (FOP) with public authorities, as well as the technical expertise of Terres Inovia.

The collection organizations through Fidicoop and Finegoce, as part of a financing structured by Sofiprotéol, also provide their financial support. With Pea4Ever, the PeaBoost GIE confirms its commitment to building an innovative, sustainable and competitive protein pea sector, serving farmers and the food transition.

PeaBoost's ambition is to contribute to structuring a strong sector around protein peas, by developing high-level research, with a perspective of making new varieties available within seven to eight years.

To finance the 5 years of research & development of the Pea4Ever program, 50 million euros (M€) are planned. The funding is based on the following breakdown:

€5M investment from the three founding seed companies and €25M in public grants. €10M in funds are also contributed by the sector via Sofiprotéol through a dedicated fund (including nearly €2M in interprofessional contributions – CVO). For this operation, Sofiprotéol structured financing from the sector via funds from the interprofessional organization and storage organizations via Fidicoop and Finégoce.

"We welcome this first step of public support which lays the foundations for a structuring project for our sector. It is necessary that this support continues over time. Designed to respond as closely as possible to farmers' needs and in alignment with the oilseed and protein crop sector strategy, the Pea4Ever program represents a unique opportunity to combine advanced breeding tools, proven expertise and commitment in service of the entire sector. This unprecedented pooling will deliver a leap in performance and consistency for producers within 7 to 8 years, instead of the usual 10 to 15 years for varietal improvement" says Benjamin Lammert, President of Terres Univia and the FOP.

"The Pea4Ever program enables a surge of investment that is essential to break the negative trajectory observed over the past 3 decades. It constitutes the first step towards sustaining a lasting research effort at the foundation of an economically viable pea sector, making it possible to envisage setting up a system to remunerate varietal creation efforts beyond the 5 years of the program" says Laurent Guerreiro, President of the PeaBoost GIE.