Want to Feel Fit? Eat Falafel, Dahl, Cow Pea and…!

Credit: Courtsey FAOBy Osman SharifCASABLANCA, Morocco, Apr 6 2016 (IPS)This is not a minor issue. Chickpea, faba bean, lentil, common bean, field pea, mung bean, black gram, pigeon pea, cowpea, and grass pea are the major pulse crops produced globally. And these especially play an important role in food and nutritional security and sustainable agricultural production systems in the drylands, which cover over 40 per cent of the world’s land area and are home to approximately 2.5 billion people. “These crops are the mainstay of agriculture and diets in these regions, constituting a major source of protein for billions. With an ever-growing health conscious population, the demand for pulses is increasing, says the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), while announcing its International Conference on Pulses for Health, Nutrition and Sustainable Agriculture for Drylands in Marrakesh, Morocco, 18-20 April 2016.Coinciding with the 2016 International Year of Pulses (IYP), the conference aims at sensitising main actors in pulse research and industries about the more recent scientific findings on health, nutrition and environmental benefits of producing, processing and eating pulses.And the conference is expected to provide a platform to various stakeholders, including scientists, policy-makers, extension workers, traders and entrepreneurs, to discuss the various contributions of pulses to food and nutritional security and ecosystem health.“Ch...
Source: IPS Inter Press Service - Health - Category: Global & Universal Authors: Tags: Editors' Choice Featured Food & Agriculture Headlines Health Middle East & North Africa Poverty & SDGs Projects Source Type: news