February 10: World Pulses Day

February 11, 2022

World Pulses Day was observed on February 10, to recognise Pulses as a global food.

Key Facts

On World Pulses Day, people make efforts in raising awareness on importance of Pulses in sustainable food production.
UN General Assembly had decided to dedicate this day to Pulses in 2019, with the objective of increasing awareness and access to pulses worldwide.

Theme of World Pulses Day 2022

World Pulses Day 2022 was celebrated under theme “Pulses to empower youth in achieving sustainable agri-food systems”.

History of World Pulses Day

The UN General Assembly (UNGA) recognised the value of pulses in 2013. It adopted 2016 as International Year of Pulses (IYP). The UN food and agriculture organization (FAO), increased public awareness on nourishing and environmental benefits of pulses. As the International Year of Pulses succeeded, Burkina Faso (country in West Africa) proposed to celebrate World Pulses Day. In 2019, UNGA announced February 10 as World Pulses Day.

Significance of the Pulses

Pulses are significant for a healthy diet. Pulses are also known as legumes. These are edible seeds of leguminous plants, which are cultivated for food. Dried beans, peas and lentils, are the most commonly known and consumed types of pulses. Pulses, and legumes like lentils, peas, beans, chickpeas, peanuts and soybeans, play an equally important role in overall improvement and health maintenance. Pulses also contribute in achieving the goals of 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. They also play a critical role in marking challenges of poverty, degraded health, food chain security and degraded climate change. Pulses and legume crops help in boosting the feasibility of agricultural production systems. They also contribute to environmental benefits. Pulses have nitrogen-fixing properties, which help in improving soil fertility. This, in turn, increases the fertility and productivity of the farmland.

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