World Pulses Day is a global event designated by the United Nations to recognize the importance of pulses (chickpeas, dry beans, lentils, dry peas, lupins, etc.) as a global food.
This day was declared on 10 February of every year since 2019 by the United Nations General Assembly on 20 December 2018.
Photo by Ivan Dostál on Unsplash
This celebration is a recognition of the important and essential role that pulses can play in achieving comprehensive and long-term goals that focus on people within the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which is an action-plan that seeks to promote global peace.
World Pulses Day provides an opportunity to increase awareness of the nutritional benefits of pulses. Part of sustainable food production to enhance food security and nutrition.
What are Pulses?
Pulses, part of the general legumes, are the edible dried seeds of leguminous plants cultivated as food, such as dried beans, lentils and peas, which are the most common and consumed types of legumes.
Legumes include in addition to pulses the green legumes in their casings (such as green peas and green beans, leguminous crops used mainly for oil extraction (such as soybeans and peanuts) and leguminous crops that are used exclusively for sowing purposes (such as alfalfa seeds).
Why Pulses?
Pulses crops have a lower carbon footprint than most foods because they require a small amount of fertilizer to grow, and they also have a low water footprint as they are adapted to semi-arid conditions and can withstand drought stress, but it’s not just about sustainability; Pulses are inexpensive, easy to store, highly nutritious, and their ability to improve soil microbes is essential to improving farming techniques in low-income rural areas. In short, a growing global population can be fed pulses more sustainably
In short, a growing global population can be fed pulses more sustainably
Why are pulses important crops?
Pulses are full of nutrients and high in protein, which makes them an ideal source of protein especially in areas where meat and dairy products are not physically or economically accessible.
Pulses are low in fat and rich in soluble fiber that can lower cholesterol and help control blood sugar, because of these qualities they have been recommended by health organizations to manage non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and heart disease, and pulses have been shown to help fight obesity.
For farmers, pulses are an important crop because they can sell and consume them, which helps farmers maintain household food security and create stable economic.
The nitrogen-fixing properties of pulses improve soil fertility, increasing and expanding farmland productivity, and by using pulses for inter-cropping and cover crops, farmers can enhance farm biodiversity and soil biodiversity as well, while controlling harmful pests and diseases.
Moreover, pulses can contribute to mitigating climate change by reducing reliance on synthetic fertilizers used to artificially introduce nitrogen into the soil, greenhouse gases are released during the manufacture and use of these fertilizers, using them significantly harm the environment.
So, Happy World Pulses Day ❤
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This post was previously published on medium.com.
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Photo credit: engin akyurt on Unsplash