Jack Beans might be unedible green beans, but these miracle beans contain compounds that can be utilized in a new technique for home dialysis for kidney patients. However, the highest quality Jack Beans are sourced from China. Last year, six Dutch growers conducted a trial with this crop, and the initial results are promising, according to Willem Kemmers from the Biobased Circular Program of Greenport West-Holland. "It is clear that we will begin cultivating Jack Beans in the Netherlands for use across Europe," he explains in a report from Greenport West-Holland.
Willem, why are Jack Beans interesting for kidney patients?
"Kidney patients often need to undergo dialysis several times a week, which can be challenging for both their bodies and daily routines. To address this, the Kidney Foundation, along with its partners, developed the NeoKidney—a small, portable dialysis machine designed for home use. This innovation requires a compact system where dialysis fluid is reused, necessitating an effective filter. A key component in this filter is a substance derived from the Jack Bean. Without this substance, the filter's efficiency is compromised, affecting the overall functionality of the home dialysis system."
How could horticulture contribute to this?
"The Jack Bean is primarily cultivated worldwide as green manure rather than for commercial purposes. Beans from a specific region in China have been found to contain the highest concentration of the active substance, but their production is limited. To support the large-scale deployment of the NeoKidney, a greater supply of these beans is necessary. Consequently, NextKidney—the company behind the NeoKidney—and the Steering Group for Agricultural Innovation Brabant organized a meeting to identify growers interested in exploring the potential for cultivating these beans locally with sufficient active substance. This initiative led to our involvement in the project with Greenport West-Holland."
What is the added value for horticulture?
"The cultivation of Jack Beans presents the agricultural sector with a new revenue model that also has a significant social impact: it enhances the quality of life for kidney patients and helps reduce healthcare costs. With a potential cultivation area of 20 to 40 hectares needed for Dutch kidney patients alone, and up to 20,000 hectares globally, a completely new market is emerging within the healthcare sector."
"To cultivate enough of the active substance needed for Dutch kidney patients depends on the concentration we can achieve in the beans. While this demand exceeds what can be grown solely on Dutch territory, we are currently developing the necessary knowledge and expertise to make this cultivation possible."
© Greenport West-Holland A part of the project team between the Jack Beans at Cucumber Farm van Caam
What was researched last year? And what was the result?
"Six growers started small-scale trials to see if the Jack Bean can be grown in Dutch conditions with sufficient active substance. Results were mixed: sometimes it worked well, and sometimes beautiful beans were produced without the required substance. The potential has been demonstrated, but there is still insufficient control over the conditions that promote the active substance. This insight is crucial for the next steps."
What is the next step?
"Instead of immediately scaling up to a larger-scale pilot, this year a limited expansion in area is chosen, along with more focus on active substance formation. The beans have already been planted, but the research is ongoing and funding is still being sought. The goal is to determine this year which cultivation factors are decisive for the right substance content – so that responsible scaling up can take place afterward.
"And because, after long test processes, the CE mark for the mobile dialysis machine is expected halfway through this year, the first patients can definitively use mobile dialysis at the end of this year or early next year. In the further rollout of this new technology, it is important that production of the beans is scaled up fairly quickly; horticulture has an important role in this and at the same time a very nice opportunity!"
© Rebekka Boekhout | VerticalFarmDaily.comCultivation of Jack Beans at Indoor Sustainable Farming
Source: Greenport West-Holland