2023 WORLD PULSES DAY
Pulses also knowns as “legumes” are edible seeds of the leguminous plants grown for food purposes. Dried beans, lentils and peas the most consumed and are known as either pulses or legumes.
The United Nations General Assembly in 2018 made the decision to allocate 10th February as World Pulses Day (WPD) and it was first commemorated on 10th February since 2019. This is an annual event designated and led by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in recognition of the importance of pulses in our diets, the significant and nutritional benefits they contribute to our health.
The theme for 2023 is “Pulses to empower youth in achieving sustainable agri-food systems”. This observance is anticipated to increase the awareness of both the nutritional and environmental benefits of legumes as a significant part of sustainable food production and a “Zerohunger” world. FAO recognizes eleven types of pulses to include dry beans, dry broad beans, dry peas, chickpeas, cow peas, pigeon peas and lentils.
Pulses or legumes contributes less to the carbon footprint, requires much less water for cultivation, withstand climatic stress better than most crops, they are cheaper to mass produce and easier to store. Additionally, they help to improve the soil microbiota while restoring minerals such as Nitrogen which is depleted from the soil by other crops and they are included in crop rotation practices worldwide.