2016 was declared as the International Year of Pulses by the

sixty eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly The Sixty-eighth Session of the United Nations General Assembly opened on 17 September 2013. The President of the United Nations General Assembly was chosen from the GRULAC with Antigua and Barbuda's John William Ashe being the consensus candida ...

on December 20, 2013. The

Food and Agriculture Organization The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)french: link=no, Organisation des Nations unies pour l'alimentation et l'agriculture; it, Organizzazione delle Nazioni Unite per l'Alimentazione e l'Agricoltura is an intern ...

(FAO) of the United Nations has been nominated to declare a year for

pulses In medicine, a pulse represents the tactile arterial palpation of the cardiac cycle (heartbeat) by trained fingertips. The pulse may be palpated in any place that allows an artery to be compressed near the surface of the body, such as at the nec ...

, more commonly known as legumes.

Purpose

The FAO used the International Year of Pulses to make people more aware of the nutritional value of pulses, of their contribution to

sustainability Specific definitions of sustainability are difficult to agree on and have varied in the literature and over time. The concept of sustainability can be used to guide decisions at the global, national, and individual levels (e.g. sustainable livi ...

, and more reliable food. The year was used to facilitate cooperation within food production systems to use

protein Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including catalysing metabolic reactions, DNA replication, res ...

in pulses better. It promoted production of pulses worldwide, improved knowledge about crop rotation and improved trade in pulses. The IYP 2016 heightened public awareness of the nutritional benefits of pulses as part of

sustainable food A sustainable food system is a type of food system that provides healthy food to people and creates sustainable environmental, economic and social systems that surround food. Sustainable food systems start with the development of sustainable a ...

production aimed towards food security and nutrition. The Year created a unique opportunity to encourage connections throughout the food chain that would better utilize pulse-based proteins, further global production of pulses, better utilize

crop rotation Crop rotation is the practice of growing a series of different types of crops in the same area across a sequence of growing seasons. It reduces reliance on one set of nutrients, pest and weed pressure, and the probability of developing resistant ...

s and address the challenges in the trade of pulses. Diet is an important contributor to health, and to disease. Most countries face nutritional problems, from undernutrition and micronutrient deficiencies to obesity and diet-related diseases (such as

type 2 diabetes Type 2 diabetes, formerly known as adult-onset diabetes, is a form of diabetes mellitus that is characterized by high blood sugar, insulin resistance, and relative lack of insulin. Common symptoms include increased thirst, frequent urinatio ...

and certain types of cancer), or a mix of these. Pulses are a nutrient-rich food that as part of a healthy diet can help fight malnutrition in both developed and developing countries. The United Nations

(FAO) used the Year to help raise awareness globally of the many benefits of pulses, such as beans, lentils and chickpeas. In 2019, the General Assembly proclaimed 10 February as the

World Pulses Day World Pulses Day is an international day established by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations to recognize the importance of pulses ( dry beans, lentils, dry peas, chickpeas, lupins) as a global food. About It h ...

Importance of Pulses

Pulses are beans and peas that are harvested dry. Examples are

lentil The lentil (''Lens culinaris'' or ''Lens esculenta'') is an edible legume. It is an annual plant known for its lens-shaped seeds. It is about tall, and the seeds grow in pods, usually with two seeds in each. As a food crop, the largest p ...

chickpea The chickpea or chick pea (''Cicer arietinum'') is an annual legume of the family Fabaceae, subfamily Faboideae. Its different types are variously known as gram" or Bengal gram, garbanzo or garbanzo bean, or Egyptian pea. Chickpea seeds are h ...

pinto bean The pinto bean () is a variety of common bean (''Phaseolus vulgaris''). In Spanish they are called , literally "painted bean" (compare pinto horse). It is the most popular bean by crop production in Northern Mexico and the Southwestern United Sta ...

kidney bean The kidney bean is a variety of the common bean ('' Phaseolus vulgaris''). It resembles a human kidney and thus is named after such. Red kidney beans should not be confused with other red beans, such as adzuki beans. Classification There ar ...

s, and more. #Pulses provide a vital source of plant-based proteins and

amino acid Amino acids are organic compounds that contain both amino and carboxylic acid functional groups. Although hundreds of amino acids exist in nature, by far the most important are the alpha-amino acids, which comprise proteins. Only 22 alpha ...

s for people, thereby ensuring

food security Food security speaks to the availability of food in a country (or geography) and the ability of individuals within that country (geography) to access, afford, and source adequate foodstuffs. According to the United Nations' Committee on World ...

. #As part of a healthy diet high in fiber, pulses fight obesity. #Pulses also prevent and help manage chronic diseases such as diabetes, coronary conditions, and cancer. #Pulses are an important source of plant-based protein for livestock. #Pulses pull

nitrogen Nitrogen is the chemical element with the symbol N and atomic number 7. Nitrogen is a nonmetal and the lightest member of group 15 of the periodic table, often called the pnictogens. It is a common element in the universe, estimated at se ...

from the air into the soil, increasing

soil fertility Soil fertility refers to the ability of soil to sustain agricultural plant growth, i.e. to provide plant habitat and result in sustained and consistent yields of high quality.

. #Pulses use less water than most other protein crops, making them a sustainable agricultural choice.

References

External links

*
Food and Agriculture Organization

International year of pulses
{{UN International Years

Pulses In medicine, a pulse represents the tactile arterial palpation of the cardiac cycle (heartbeat) by trained fingertips. The pulse may be palpated in any place that allows an artery to be compressed near the surface of the body, such as at the nec ...

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