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Attended by 980 delegates from around the world, the World Pulses Convention was held last week in Las Vegas on April 12-15. Over the course of the four-day meeting, there was strong support from the pulse sector and others to raise awareness on the role pulses play in important global challenges. Those challenges include meeting the nutritional requirements of the growing global population, and reducing the impact of food production on the environment.
Jon Brause, Director, Washington Liaison Office, World Food Programme (WFP) opened his keynote address by stating “WFP knows that pulses are a critical part of any emergency food response”, adding that “In fact, pulses are one of the three main components of our standard emergency ration – together with a cereal and an oil.”
WFP is the world's largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide, delivering food assistance in emergencies and working with communities to improve nutrition and build resilience. Each year, WFP assists some 80 million people in around 75 countries. Mr. Brause noted that in 2014 19.5 per cent of the value of food WFP procured was Pulses, equivalent to $168 million.
Recognising that pulses are a good source of protein, vitamins and minerals, Mr. Brause highlighted that “WFP recognizes that Pulses provide critical nutrients that are not readily available in cereals alone”.
With the 2016 UN International Year of Pulses getting closer, Mr. Brause inspired all delegates attending the World Pulses Convention to persevere on their mission to promote recognition of the diverse potential contributions of pulses to the population and to the environment. “I firmly believe that the World Food Program and the Global Pulse Confederation share the same vision: That we can sustainably end hunger in our lifetimes and that the increasing consumption of pulses, in all of their diversity and nutritional richness, will be a critical element in the achievement of that goal.”
Read Jon Brause, Director, Washington Liaison Office, World Food Programme (WFP) full speech here.
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On the social media site Reddit, Chef Gordon Ramsay held an “AMA”, or Ask Me Anything, in which any user can ask questions. One user asked “Do you have any food recommendations for a college student on a budget?” Chef Ramsay responded “I would recommend that you get adventurous with pulses - chickpeas, beans, lentils. And you know, cooking these is incredible.” He also added “You don't need expensive proteins.” This sparked a conversation about the benefits of Mexican and Indian cuisine - Food rich in nutritional value and flavour available for low cost.
You can view the entire AMA here.
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The race is on for cooking pulses in Australia now that Pulse Australia and the Grains & Legumes Nutrition Council (GLNC) have jointly launched the 2015 Australian Signature Pulse Dish Recipe Competition, open to all Australian adults, including amateur and professional cooks. The contest promises international exposure and many other attractive prizes such as: $1,000 cash and an all-expenses-paid trip to Melbourne for the award ceremony.
Australia is one of the biggest producers of pulses in the world, however domestic consumption is not high. Despite dietary recommendations, too few Australians know about the nutritional benefits of pulses and how versatile they are for cooking. This competition aims to change exactly that, to remind the population that pulses are not only fully loaded with fiber, minerals, vitamins and proteins, but that they are full of flavour.
The contest, open between 13 April 2015 and 28 May 2015, is an invitation to take your favourite pulse whether it be beans, lentils, chickpeas or peas and create an original, unpublished recipe with pulses as its star ingredient. The winning recipe will be named Australia’s signature dish and will be professionally photographed and captured on video and showcased on the 2015 Australian Grains Industry Conference. The winning recipe will also represent Australia on the global stage along with other national signature dishes from around the world.
The expert judging panel for the 2015 Australian Signature Pulse Dish Recipe Competition includes renowned chef and International Year of Pulses Australian Advocate Simon Bryant, renowned chef of le Petit Gateau Patisserie Pierrick Boyer, Food Director at taste.com.au magazine Michelle Southan, and scoopnutrition.com’s Emma Stirling. “Each recipe will be judged on visual appeal, creativity, accessibility for home chefs, and of course, taste,” noted Simon. “Prizes will go to winners of the professional chef, everyday food lovers, people’s choice, and healthy recipe categories.”
Fantastic prizes including Simon Bryant’s soon-to-be-released cookbook, will go to the finalists of the following categories: professional chef, everyday food lovers, people’s choice, and healthy* recipe.
If you are Australian and ready for this pulse challenge please visit for more information: http://www.glnc.org.au/recipecomp/
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CICILS-IPTIC (to be called the Global Pulse Confederation) is soliciting proposals from qualified suppliers to support CICILS-IPTIC work in preparation for the 2016 International Year of Pulses.
The RFP for the IYOP Pulse Productivity Publication Plan has been re-issued. Please find the RFP attached, and distribute to any possible suppliers.
IYOP RFP Productivity Publication Plan (269 KB)
The purpose of these RFPs is to select a supplier for projects to begin in 2015. More information can be found in the documents.
Proposals and all enquiries are to be submitted via email to Isabelle Coche -This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
CICILS-IPTIC reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, as well as to accept the proposal which will be to the best advantage, as determined at the sole discretion of the Global Pulse Confederation.