International Year of Pulses

2016 was declared as the International Year of Pulses by the sixty eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly on December 20, 2013.

[1] The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations has been nominated to declare a year for pulses, more commonly known as legumes.

The year was used to facilitate cooperation within food production systems to use protein in pulses better.

The Year created a unique opportunity to encourage connections throughout the food chain that would better utilize pulse-based proteins, further global production of pulses, better utilize crop rotations and address the challenges in the trade of pulses.

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) used the Year to help raise awareness globally of the many benefits of pulses, such as beans, lentils and chickpeas.