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Support the International Year of Pulses

Join us in the call to have the United Nations declare 2016 as “International Year of Pulses”. Celebrate all the great things pulses do:

  • Pulse crops such as lentils, beans, peas, and chickpeas are a critical source of plant-based proteins for people around the globe.

  • The World Food Programme and other food aid initiatives use pulses as an invaluable part of the general food basket.

  • The nitrogen-fixing properties of pulses mean pulses have a smaller carbon footprint than many other crops, making them one of the most environmentally sustainable food choices.

  • Health organizations around the world recommend eating pulses as part of a healthy diet to address obesity, plus prevent and manage non-communicable diseases like diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

An International Year designation provides an opportunity to raise awareness and to celebrate the role of beans, chickpeas, lentils and other pulses in feeding the world. Even more importantly, it can become a galvanizing moment to draw together key actors to further the contributions pulses make to health, nutrition, and sustainability.

Lend your support:

  • Write to the Minister’s of Agriculture and Foreign Affairs in your country

  • Write to the Director General of FAO

  • Let us know if you’d like to help organise activities in your country leading up to 2016

  • Contribute to the trust fund for the International Year of Pulses

Visit the CICILS web site to learn more http://www.cicilsiptic.org/pulses.php?id=20 or contact me at

Robynne Anderson

Robynne has extensive experience in the agriculture and food sector, working throughout the value chain – from basic inputs to farmers in the field to the grocery store shelf. She works internationally in the sector, including speaking at the United Nations on agriculture and food issues, and representing the International Agri-Food Network at the UN.Throughout her career she has worked with farm organisations like the Prairie Oat Growers Association, the National Smallholder Farmers Association of Malawi and the Himalayan Farmers Association, as well as global groups, to further the voice of agriculture in the food debate. She has also worked with Fortune 500 companies growing worldwide businesses to assist them with issues management and strategy decisions.

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