Highlighting the crucial role played by pulses in addressing food insecurity and achieving food insecurity and achieving healthy and balanced diets for all, Food and Agriculture Organisation director-general Qu Dongyu pointed to the need to unlock their full potential to accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda.
The director-general made the remarks at a special ceremony at FAO headquarters in Rome, in which FAO observed World Pulses Day (which falls on February 10, i.e., today). In particular, he called for an increase in research and extension services for farmers growing all kinds of pulses.
“Pulses have a higher selling price than other staple crops,” Qu added, stating that pulses offer an important cash crop opportunity to smallholders, while also contributing towards environmental and biodiversity goals.
“Pulses are a beautiful piece in the puzzle,” the FAO director general said, highlighting that the crops presented a wide range of flavours and adapted to different landscapes. He also urged FAO member states to encourage ways of including pulses in snack food products.
Qu reiterated FAO’s commitment to continue working with all partners on improving the production and consumption of pulses as a means to contribute to healthy nutrition, especially the micronutrient needs of children and of elderly people, and sustainable agricultural and food systems.
“We need the private sector, farmers, governments and academia to work together with us,” he concluded.
Today's ceremony also saw the participation of Cindy Brown, president, Global Pulse Confederation (GPC); Jenny Chandler, special ambassador, 2016 International Year of Pulses; Joyce Boye, director-general, Prairie Region, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, and Zoltán Kálmán, permanent representative, Hungary, among others.
Why pulses are so important?
Pulses - the edible seeds of legume plants, such as lentils, chickpeas and Bambara beans - contain substantial amounts of micronutrients, dietary fibre and minerals, and are an important source of plant protein.
Pulses are also known for their ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen, catalysing the creation of high-quality organic matter in soils and facilitate water retention. These characteristics help farmers reduce their use of fertilisers and energy in arable agricultural systems, which also reduces greenhouse gas emissions.
About the Day
Building on the successful implementation of the 2016 International Year of Pulses, with FAO playing the leading role in the campaign, the United Nations General Assembly, at its 73rd session in December 2018, endorsed the request made by the Government of Burkina Faso, regarding the annual observance of the World Pulses Day.
The theme of the World Pulses Day 2020 is Plant proteins for a sustainable future, aiming to highlight the role of pulses as an important source of plant protein and its valuable contribution to the 2030 Agenda.
