Growing a business with a new-to-Canada crop
- Posted:
The rising global demand for alternative sources of protein has increased opportunity for non-traditional crops throughout Canada. Alongside Canada’s world-renowned supply of lentils and peas is now a growing supply of protein-rich crops such as fava, hemp and lupin.
“Lupin has significant potential as a protein ingredient for several reasons,” said Lupin Platform CEO Tristan Choi. “Its protein content is notably high—comparable to soy, which is a leading source of plant-based protein. This makes it a valuable option in the rapidly growing plant-based food sector, where demand for protein alternatives is surging.”
For the past four years, the Lupin Platform team has been focused on expanding the opportunity for lupin development across Canada. By working with farmers, the company can ensure the versatile bean has the characteristics needed to become a functional protein ingredient—meeting the taste, texture and nutritional needs consumers are looking for.
Through this work, Choi and his team have developed uses for lupin in a variety of meat alternatives, protein shakes, baked goods and dairy substitutes, as well as livestock feed. Though still growing in popularity, the bean shows promise as an ingredient in all areas, particularly for its nutritional components.
“Lupin has a low glycemic index, making it ideal for diabetic-friendly or health-conscious products. Additionally, it is nono-GMO, gluten-free, and rich in fibre and essential nutrients, further enhancing its appeal in functional food applications,” Choi said.
At the same time, lupin has additional characteristics that positively impact livestock production.
“Some dairy producers are looking for alternatives to canola and soybean meal protein supplements to mitigate methane and improve livestock production,” said Lupin Platform’s Director of Lupin Protein Development Alphonsus Utioh. “Studies have shown lupin seed meal supplemented to dairy cow diet improves butterfat concentration of the milk and decreases methane production in cows’ digestion. A similar study conducted by Lupin Platform showed a slight improvement in milk production.”
With such opportunity ahead, the Lupin Platform team has had plenty of success attracting collaborative partnerships to advance their R&D work. This includes domestic partnerships with Canadian producers, processors and retailers, as well as international organizations to help grow the market globally.
It also helps address some of the challenges associated with growing and processing the bean. A particular challenge, Choi explained, is Canada’s growing season.
“Lupin's late maturity can be a challenge in regions with shorter growing seasons, as it limits the crop’s adaptability in cooler climate,” he said. “We have screened over 25 different varieties over the span of decades to identify earlier-maturing varieties that can thrive in a broader range of Canadian growing climates, including those with shorter growing windows.”
Despite such challenges, the Lupin Platform team has made significant progress in expanding the crop’s popularity and use across the ingredient manufacturing, food processing and bioproducts ecosystem. And that popularity is only expected to grow.
“[We] can say that we have successfully brought lupin as a protein crop into [the] North American market,” Utioh said. “Through toll manufacturers, we are producing and marketing lupin flour and protein isolate in the food industry. We had four years of drought and somewhat challenging growing conditions, but we are building a resilient group of growers to successfully work through those challenges and increase the farming footprints in Canada.”
As Lupin Platform builds its brand and its supply chain, the team expects to centralize their work under a single facility in Canada. Based on their work so far, it won’t be long before that facility is contributing to the growing success of Canada’s ingredient manufacturing, food processing and bioproducts sector.
Featured interviewee

Tristan Choi
Chief Executive Officer
Lupin Platform