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- Food Security and Agricultural Sustainability Affected -
LIVINGSTONE, ZAMBIA, March 1, 2016: A new global survey among leading agricultural research institutions and personnel shows a concern that the current level of research funding into pulses - the edible dried seeds of legume crops, such as lentils, dry peas, chickpeas and beans – is too low and this may be handicapping efforts to improve food security and agricultural sustainability.
The ‘Global Pulse Productivity & Sustainability Survey’ suggests that annual investment hovers at only $175m per annum for the 13 crops in the pulse category. Billions are invested into other crops such as corn.
“Bottom line: we need a 10-fold increase in pulse research funding,” says Huseyin Arslan, President of the Global Pulse Confederation, which commissioned the survey. “With over 800 million people suffering from acute or chronic undernourishment, increasing pulse research is vital. We can only meet the world’s protein needs with better varieties of chickpeas, peas, beans, and lentils.”
This relative lack of investment may be one of the reasons why global pulse production has remained relatively stagnant in yield per acre, acres planted and total volumes, especially when compared to cereals and oilseeds. Given the potential for pulses to play a significant role in delivering against the UN’s new Sustainable Development Goals – especially Zero Hunger, Good Health & Wellbeing and Life on land - this lack of investment in research is a concern to the experts surveyed.
“Investments in pulses research have the potential for significant agricultural impact. The high nutritional value and climate resilience traits of pulses are well established to fight the global challenge of hidden hunger, poverty and environmental degradation, especially for the vulnerable populations of sub-Saharan Africa and Asia,” says Shoba Sivasankar, Director, CGIAR Research Program on Grain Legumes.
The survey maps, for the first time, many important national initiatives and international centres of excellence like CGIAR, a global research partnership, and ‘stalwart’ funders such as USAID and the Gates Foundation.
“Even with the limited funding supporting pulses research, several CGIAR Centers including ICARDA, ICRISAT, CIAT and IITA have developed many improved varieties and technologies to promote pulses production but these need to find their way to farmers’ fields,” said the Director General of ICARDA Dr. Mahmoud Solh. “Part of the reason for the limited expansion of pulses production is the high subsidies given by Governments to cereals at the expense of pulses. Thus, farmers prefer to grow cereals although pulses are becoming now cash crops in developing countries. India should be commended for being the first country giving subsidies now to pulses also which is expected to change the picture”.
It also highlights the geographical areas of decline, such as Europe, where despite a long tradition of pulse crop consumption and a ‘good general knowledge of the benefits of pulse crops to rotation’, there has been ‘increasing concern in the European agricultural community over the decrease in agricultural interest in pulse crops’ and a decline in research funding.
The survey shows a broad consensus on what research priorities should be. “With investment in crop improvement and agronomy research, pulses can be made resilient to climate change as well as diversify income sources for farmers. Focused research efforts creating expanded value-added marketplace for pulses will generate new market opportunities for farmers to make farmers prosperous as well as modernize our food system to become more sustainable, equitable and nutritious,” says David Bergvinson, Director General, International Crop Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics.
“In addition to governments and funders stepping up their commitments to research, we need a 10 year strategy on pulse research to ensure there is sharp focus in the spending of these dollars,” adds Arslan.
The survey is the latest in a series of research projects, symposiums and conferences being conducted under the banner of the International Year of Pulses.
The United Nations has designated 2016 the International Year of Pulses to raise discussion of the role this crop plays in human and animal nutrition, its current and potential productivity and its contribution to sustainable agriculture.
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Read the Report:
Pulses Global Research and Funding Survey (1.13 MB)
Notes to editors
- 'The Global Pulse Productivity & Sustainability Report’ presents the findings from a survey of 24 pulse crop researchers, representing over 30 countries, and 14 research funders, conducted in Q3 & Q4 2015: http://iyp2016.org/resources/documents/technical-reports/124-pulses-global-research-and-funding-survey/file
- The Global Pulse Confederation (GPC) is the global not for profit trade organization for the global pulse industry value chain. As the sole international confederation for the industry, it enjoys membership from 18 national associations (federations) and over 600 private sector members in an industry worth over $100 Billion at the retail level and over 60 million tonnes of pulse production and distribution in over 55 countries. GPC is headquartered in Dubai http://iyp2016.org/about-us/global-pulse-confederation-cicils-iptic
- UN Assembly Resolution on the 2016 International Year of the Pulses: http://www.un.org/en/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/RES/68/231&Lang=E
- For recipes, nutrition and health information please visit: www.pulses.org or follow #LovePulses on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube.
- For industry news on IYP go to www.iyp2016.org
Media contact:
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The winner of the Canadian national food competition is a product called “Fiberger” , developed by two students from University of Guelph in Ontario. This is a high-fiber meat extender containing red lentils, green peas and chickpeas.
Second place went to Biotagelata, a gelato made from fermented beans developed by students from the University of Alberta.
Third place went to Vital ImPulse, a breakfast bar containing faba bean flour, chickpea flour and green lentils developed by students from Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax.
The competition took place at the CIFST conference last Monday & Tuesday in Vancouver and one of the judges was local celebrity chef Vikram Vij!
More information, and photos, to follow.
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This post was written by Christine Negra, and originally appeared on Peoplefoodandnature.org
When it comes to eating sustainably, beans, peas, lentils, chickpeas, and other pulses are hard to beat.
A staple of many traditional diets around the globe, high-protein, low-fat, high-fiber pulse grains have been shown to fight disease and malnutrition. In farming systems, pulses ‘fix’ atmospheric nitrogen, adding it to the soil. Many pulse varieties tolerate drought and break pest cycles that afflict cereal crops.
In recognition of the tremendous advantages to be gained by the world growing and eating more pulses, the United Nations General Assembly has declared 2016 the International Year of Pulses (IYP). With leadership from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization and an array of activities organized through the Global Pulse Confederation, IYP is already increasing the visibility and appeal of pulses among consumers.
Pulses: fundamental to global food security and agricultural sustainability
Pulse crops are produced on approximately 80 million hectares globally. Two-thirds of all pulses are grown in Asia and Africa, where populations depend on them heavily for dietary protein. India, with over 22 million pulse farmers, accounts for about 25% of global production. Pulse producers range from smallholder farmers with weak market access to large commercial operations that are well-connected to global commodity markets. Average pulse crop yields vary significantly between developed and developing countries.
As a subset of the legume family, pulse plants add nitrogen to farm systems, which reduces the need for farmers to add fertilizers and lowers net greenhouse gas emissions. Adding pulses to cereal monocultures often gives a boost to soil microbes, inhibiting plant pathogens. Pulses have a low water footprint compared to most other protein sources and can increase overall water use efficiency in crop rotations.
Farmers can choose from many pulse varieties to match plant traits to growing conditions. But with increasingly volatile weather affecting agriculture, pulse yields are under threat and scientific advances will be needed. In addition to improving pulse productivity and resilience, researchers and producers will need to anticipate climate change effects at scales that are relevant for production decisions. They will also need to find ways to better integrate pulse crops into agricultural landscapes through optimized rotations, pest control strategies and improved seed supply.
A worldwide campaign to highlight and support pulse production.
Throughout this year, researchers, producers, companies, international agencies and other entities will tackle the knowledge frontiers for sustainable pulse crop production at meetings all over the world. Later this month in Livingstone, Zambia, the Pan-African Grain Legume and World Cowpea Conference will showcase best practices for production and harvesting, as well as innovative seed systems and inclusive value chains. Meanwhile, the conference will addressing barriers to sustainably improving production in the face of climate change and other challenges.
LEARN MORE
Hear directly from farmers on how growing pulses has benefited them in these 2-minute videos and follow @LovePulses on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to keep up-to-date on information and activities.
How can YOU broaden the impact of pulses to human health, nutrition, and to the sustainability of agricultural systems? Here are 10 great things you can do and here are pulse recipes from around the world to try.
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ICARDA launched the Global Pulses Research Platform near Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh state, India, yesterday on February 24, 2016. The Platform was inaugurated by guest of honor, Dr. Sanjaya Rajaram, World Food Prize laureate and renowned agricultural scientist. The Platform, managed as a partnership of ICARDA with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), the State Government, and the Government of India, aims to boost the region’s pulses production significantly and reduce dependency on import.
In India and South Asia, pulses have traditionally been a major and often the only source of affordable protein and vital nutrients for the poor and malnourished population. Currently, India is facing soaring prices in pulses as the country is increasingly becoming dependent on expensive pulse imports, which reached 4.4 million tonnes in 2014-2015 – up by 29 percent over the previous year, according to the India Pulses and Grains Association.
“Establishment of the Platform and its collaborative research with ICARDA, ICAR institutes and State Agricultural Universities will certainly contribute to closing the gap between India’s demand and supply of pulses,” said Dr. Trilochan Mohapatra, the newly appointed Director General of ICAR, at the official inauguration of the Global Pulses Research Platform yesterday. “The South Asia region as a whole will profit from its research products and innovations,” he added.
“Key strategies of the research platform are to benefit pulses producers while enhancing nutritional security and sustainability of cropping systems,” stated Dr. Mahmoud Solh, ICARDA’s Director General. “The platform will not only invest in the necessary research for new pulses technologies but also build the capacity of local scientists, extension workers and farmers.”
Dr. Solh called pulses “climate smart crops” because they contribute positively to soil health. Pulses will need an enabling policy environment to meet the current and future challenges as their consumption is estimated to increase by 23% in the next 15 years. “The establishment of the Global Pulses Research Platform is a step in the right direction,” Dr. Solh concluded.
The Global Pulses Research Platform is spread over 71 hectares of experimental farmland and equipped with supportive high-quality research facilities. A major research approach is tapping rice fallows to grow higher yielding, early maturing pulses varieties of lentil, chickpea and grass pea. In India, approximately 11.7 million hectares are left fallow every year for up to six months after the rice harvest, of which pulses can be successfully produced in at least 3.0 million hectares. Grown in rice and rice-wheat systems, pulses are sustainably increasing cropping intensity, generating additional revenue for farmers and ensuring nutrition security for families.
The improved lentil varieties are also offering higher concentration of iron (25%) and zinc (60%) to address widespread nutritional deficiencies.
The platform in India complements ICARDA’s crop research facilities in Morocco and Ethiopia, putting pulses research on an accelerated track for the developing world.
ICARDA’s platform is in lock-step with the UN’s declaration of 2016 as the International Year of the Pulses aiming to promote pulses production and consumption the world over, particularly in developing countries. With a multitude of benefits, pulses address both malnourishment and soil degradation – the major challenges facing countries in Asia and Africa.
(On Flickr: Inauguration and platform photos)
For more information, please contact Andrea Gros, ICARDA Head of Communication at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Resources:
http://www.icarda.org/project/enhancing-lentil-production-using-rice-fallows-south-asia
http://www.icarda.org/project/alleviating-malnutrition-biofortified-lentil
http://agricoop.nic.in/imagedefault/trade/Pulses.pdf