February 10, by the decision of the UN, is marked World pulses day (World Pulses Day). It was established by a resolution of the UN General Assembly in December 2018 at the initiative of the government of the Republic of Burkina Faso.
Pulses are dry seeds of legumes, that is, plants whose fruits ripen in pods (beans). The most famous of these are peas, beans and lentils. It is known that legumes were part of the diet back in the Ancient World, where they were specially grown for this.
In the official address of the representatives of the African republic to the UN, it was emphasized that the establishment of the holiday will be a natural continuation of paying attention to legumes as agricultural crops that play a big role in solving food problems, forming a healthy lifestyle through a healthy diet.
The fact is that back in 2013, the UN General Assembly drew attention to the role of pulses in solving important global problems: having a high nutritional value, these crops contribute to solving hunger problems in certain regions of the world, and their inclusion in a constant diet has a positive effect on people’s health. The high protein content plays a role in replacing animal proteins contained in more expensive meat and dairy products, and the content of soluble fiber, amino acids, vitamins and microelements in the composition of legumes contributes to the normalization of many digestive processes.
The appeal of the Government of Burkina Faso to the UN also pointed out the positive effect of pulses on soil fertility, on their ability to grow in a fairly dry climate, as well as on the fact that pulses have a good storage ability.
With all these factors in mind, at its December 2013 meeting, the UN General Assembly declared 2016 the World Year of Pulses. It is precisely in order to consolidate and build on the success achieved by the events organized in 2016 in the framework of the World Year of Pulses that the Government of Burkina Faso proposed to establish an annual date dedicated to the dissemination of information on the benefits of pulses.
Attracting the attention of agricultural producers, the UN invites them, together with representatives of the scientific community and business, to strive to improve the cultivation of leguminous crops, to increase their productivity. The participation of the state in these processes is only welcomed.