|
|
|
Contact FAO Burkina Faso FAO Media Relations Office |
International Year of Pulses closes with call to build upon strong momentum
Beans, lentils and chickpeas are small but powerful allies in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals 10 February 2017, Rome/Ouagadougou - The International Year of Pulses (IYP) has helped raise awareness globally
of the many benefits of pulses, and boosted knowledge sharing and partnerships, but gains must be further strengthened to achieve the international community's Sustainable Development Goals.
That was the message from the Year's official closing ceremony, hosted by Burkina Faso with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). "It is essential to maintain the momentum," said FAO's Deputy Director-General Maria-Helena Semedo at today's ceremony. "Training programmes on the value of pulses should be supported, particularly
for schoolchildren, farmers and extension workers. Policies and programmes should focus more on pulse producers, particularly small-holder farmers and young people," she said. Burkina Faso's President, Roch Marc Christian Kaboré, said: “To better cope with the triple problem of soil fertility management, reducing the adverse effects of climate change and the issue
of food security, producing and consuming pulses is a great opportunity, especially for the most vulnerable people.” Defined as edible dried seeds of plants in the legume family, pulses are packed with minerals such as iron, zinc and folate. From hummus and falafel to dahl and baked beans, pulses have been
an important part of diets around the world for centuries. Finger on the pulse With the slogan ‘Nutritious Seeds for a Sustainable Future', the International Year of Pulses was launched in November 2015, and the UN General Assembly nominated FAO to lead implementation.
Since then, connections have been fostered among key actors from farmers' organizations to the private sector to facilitate information exchange and policy dialogue on the production, trade and consumption of pulses. Leaders in policy and research have tackled the top pulse issues at several international fora, and national committees have been established. A technical pulses
database was created, a cookbook featuring recipes from international chefs was published, and the official multilingual IYP website, with over half a million
visits, promoted a rich array of information on pulses. During today's ceremony, the six IYP Special Ambassadors, represented by leading Egyptian TV chef Magy Habib, were thanked
for their dedication and valuable services. Power-packed pulses to help end hunger Pulses are a valuable ingredient in achieving Sustainable Development Goal 2 which aims to end hunger, achieve
food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture. The plants contribute to climate change adaptation and mitigation. They add large amounts of beneficial nitrogen to the soil and require little fertilizer. Growing pulses with other crops enhances
soil fertility, improves both crops' yields, and contributes to a more sustainable food system. In addition, pulses have a very low water footprint compared to other protein sources, can be grown in very poor soils, and help reduce the risk of soil erosion and depletion. For poor farmers,
growing pulses contributes to stable livelihoods, additional income and improved nutrition. Production on the rise Overall, global pulse production has been slowly but steadily increasing. In 2014, global production reached 77 million tonnes, up 21 million tonnes since 2001. In Burkina Faso, where pulses are generally grown by rural women, production is also on the rise. The government estimates that 700 000 tonnes of cowpea and 56 000 tonnes of bambara (or voandzou)
beans will be produced this year - around 20 percent more than last year. Though the International Year of Pulses has now officially closed, there has been a sound call to keep the momentum alive and continue activities beyond 2016. FAO will carry
on working with stakeholders from governments to family farmers to champion pulses as small but powerful allies in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. |
|
|
read this story online | Journalists & editors: For photos, audio clips, video material & b-roll, contact: (+39) 06 570 53625 or
[log in to unmask]. This news release was issued by the Media Office at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
(FAO). To unsubscribe from this news service click the link below or send an email to
[log in to unmask] with "signoff Media-G-Eng-L" as the only text in the message body. You can also manage your subscription online,
here. To receive news releases in plain text format rather than HTML, contact us.
|
To unsubscribe from the Media-G-Eng-L list, click the following link:
&*TICKET_URL(Media-G-Eng-L,SIGNOFF);