World Pulses Day
On behalf of the Global Pulse Confederation (GPC), Emerging has been advocating for the establishment of World Pulses Day. Thanks to the formidable leadership of Burkina Faso, the Second Committee of the 73rd Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted, by consensus, in November 2018 a draft resolution establishing 10 February as World Pulses Day (WPD). The establishment of this day will be a lasting legacy of the enormously successful 2016 International Year of Pulses. The draft resolution will soon be endorsed by the Plenary of the UNGA making the WPD a Day to be observed and celebrated internationally.
The annual celebration of pulses will present a tremendous opportunity to raise awareness of the critical role they play in addressing the challenges of poverty, food security and nutrition. Pulses are the biggest source of protein for humans and, not only do they provide a vital source of proteins and amino acids for people globally, they also have nitrogen fixing properties which increase soil fertility, as well as other environmental benefits that align well with the Paris Accord. Pulses have a vital role to play in improving nutrition – both underweight and overweight – and tackling non-communicable diseases. Nonetheless, pulses still remain underrepresented in global food systems, research, and national food policy. The World Pulses Day will therefore provide a recurring opportunity to highlight the numerous and exceptional nutritional virtues of pulses and stimulate investment in research on pulses and in their production and marketing.