Legumes are highly relevant crops for sustainable agriculture, as they are the primary source of vegetable protein and can fix nitrogen. This work reviews the potential of using the variability of genetic resources from gene banks and new biotechnological and molecular tools for selecting common vetch varieties with improved traits to be used in sustainable agriculture systems. We explore new uses of this traditional legume, its environmental value as a nitrogen fixer crop, its tolerance to drought, and its phytoremediation ability in contaminated soils. These properties make this crop a sustainable option in the current climate change situation.