The common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) is a single species that includes an enormous range of familiar dried and fresh beans — kidney beans, black beans, cannellini beans, pinto beans, navy beans, borlotti beans, and green (string) beans, among others. All were domesticated independently in Mesoamerica and the Andes thousands of years ago.
As a staple food, the common bean is grown on every continent except Antarctica and is a critical protein source in Central and South America, Africa, and parts of Asia. Dried beans are shelf-stable, inexpensive, and nutritionally dense, making them one of the most important food security crops globally.
In Australia, common beans appear in many forms: canned kidney beans and chickpeas in everyday cooking, dried beans in soups and stews, and fresh green beans as a vegetable. The country imports most of its dried beans but grows green beans domestically.
How it's produced
Common beans are an annual crop grown from seed in warm conditions after the last frost. They come in two main growth forms: bush types (compact, determinate, harvested all at once) and climbing types (indeterminate, harvested over a longer period). The plants fix nitrogen from the air through symbiotic root bacteria, reducing the need for nitrogen fertiliser and making them valuable in crop rotations.
For dried beans, the plants are left in the field until the pods have dried and the seeds are hard. They are then harvested by combine or pulled by hand, threshed, and cleaned. For fresh green beans, pods are picked while still tender and immature. Major dried-bean producers include Brazil, India, Myanmar, and the United States. In Australia, green beans are grown commercially in Queensland and other warm regions.
What it costs the planet (per kilo)
≈ Estimated from its category — typical for legumes & pulses, not measured for this item yet. Sources & methods →
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