Western Grocer Serving the industry since 1916
World Pulses Day is February 10th. To raise awareness around just how far our dollars go in pulses, SPUD, Blush Lane, Organic Acres and BeFresh are donating 10 000 meals through organizations all across BC and Alberta. These organizations include among many others: United Way, Food Stash Foundation, Mt Pleasant Neighborhood House, Bowls of Hope and regional food hubs.
What are Pulses?
Pulses, also known as legumes, are the edible seeds of leguminous plants cultivated for food. Dried beans, lentils and peas are the most commonly known and consumed types of pulses. They are incredibly nutritious, good for the planet and the people.
Why World Pulses DAY?
- Nutritious to the core, beans, lentils are a key part of WFP emergency food assistance program and so important in fighting hunger globally and locally: https://www.wfp.org/stories/why-pulses-are-soaked-goodness
- Pulses are an affordable source of protein for a large proportion of rural populations in the world who may have limited access to diversified diets. They are also incredibly affordable for those who don’t live in rural populations. Pulses are also nutrient-dense, providing substantial amounts of vitamins and minerals that are important for good health, contributing to Better Nutrition
- Pulses, and legume species in general, contribute to the sustainability of food systems and function as one of the main drivers to enable healthy diets. Pulses are particularly important for sustainable crop production due to their ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen and to improve in some cases the turnover of phosphorous, thereby contributing to optimizing the use of soil nutrients and to achieving a Better Environment.
- Pulses can be key to increasing the resilience of farming systems and providing a Better Life for farmers in water scarce environments, as they have a low water footprint and can better tolerate drought and climate emergencies compared to other food crops. Pulses are, therefore, an essential tool to tackle climate change.
- Food security: For farmers, pulses are an important crop because they can both sell them and consume them, which helps farmers maintain household food security and creates economic stability.
- On the economic side, the global pulses industry, including production and trade of pulses, proves to be a positive driver in ensuring the resilience of regional and global supply chains, enabling consumers to access nutritious foods and contributing to the sustainable use of natural resources.
Helena McShane
Communications & Sustainability Manager
T: 604 442 4637 E: helena@spud.ca
