Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68EUROPEAN-SEED.COM I EUROPEAN SEED I 25 she notes that more people eating pulses will have major benefits not only to human health, but to food security as well. “Pulses are a good basis to develop innovative, cost-effective and resource-efficient food crops that are high in protein, with a positive impact on human health, the environment and biodiversity,” she says. Part of creating that security is the fact that pulses are a sort of social equaliser, she adds. “It is important that pulses are consumed by all categories of population: low-income and wealthy groups and in all countries – developing, with transition economies, and developed.” PULSE HORS D’OEUVRES Back to those British politicians. In the age of social media, when it seems like every cause has a special day, week, month or year attached to it, IYP is standing out in a part of the world that some might argue has far more urgent matters on its mind. British Members of Parliament celebrated the pulse industry in London back in July, just a few weeks after the Brexit referendum that caused a global firestorm of political controversy. At a time when the whole of British politics seemed to revolve around the Brexit spectacle, Labour MP Kerry McCarthy took a moment during her remarks at an IYP social event on July 20 to lament the treatment of the U.K. pulse sector, which she said “has been neglected and overlooked for too long.” Farming Minister George Eustice stayed away from the politics of pulses and instead focussed on the fact that pulses are not only healthy, but a good choice for the socially conscious trend-setters of London and beyond: “From lentils to beans, British pulses are becoming ever more popular on menus and in shopping trolleys across the country as people increasingly adopt more healthy eating options.” The exchange was a good illustration of how IYP is raising the profile of pulses and getting people to talk about them, which in today’s Internet- dominated environment can often be half the battle. “The general reaction was surprise that these products are available, how healthy they are and how affordable they are,” says Franek Smith, vice-president of the British Edible Pulses Association (BEPA), which co-hosted the event. “We came to highlight the value of these often-overlooked foodstuffs to MPs and how they fit into the modern diet. We outlined their value as healthy, high-protein and high-fibre foods, the fact they are very affordable and why they should be a regular part of everyone’s diet. We explained how they reduce cholesterol while providing essential proteins and amino acids.” BEPA also took the opportunity to explain the sustainability of pulse crops, including how they benefit the environment by fixing their own nitrogen in the soil and the key role they play on many modern U.K. arable farms. Stanley Nkalubo is the breeder and leader of the Legumes Research Program at NaCRRI, which evaluated and released five new biofortified bean varieties that will provide a cheap source of nutrition among poorer communities. Photo: G.Smith/CIAT “The general reaction was surprise that these products are available, how healthy they are and how affordable they are.” – Franek Smith British MP Kerry McCarthy, a vegetarian, speaks at an event last July to celebrate the International Year of Pulses. Photo: BEPA Eleonora Dupouy, food safety and consumer protection officer with the FAO based in Budapest, Hungary, notes it was Pakistan and Turkey that first proposed the idea for the International Year of Pulses. Photo: Protein2Food