Pulses are Heavy Hitters for UN Sustainable Development Goals
- Dec 23, 2021
- news
Victory will be a lot easier to achieve for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals in a world where people grow and eat more chickpeas, lentils, beans, and other pulse crops. High-protein, low-fat, high-fiber pulse grains are heavy hitters for human health and nutrition and these plants are real team players when it comes to boosting soil fertility.
Pulse grains have been recognized for their ‘Most Valuable Player’ role in nourishing children at risk of stunting during the first 1000 days of life, in reducing chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease, in combating obesity, and in building a diverse microbiome. With two to three times as much protein as many cereals, pulses are big winners for communities with protein-deficient diets. With thirteen different types of pulses available, farmers can pull from a deep bench when they add pulses to their cropping systems to reduce the impacts of pests, diseases, and weeds as well as weather extremes, while gaining a new source of income. This is starting to sound a lot like Sustainable Development Goals 2 and 3 that call for food security, sustainable agriculture, and better human health. But pulses also bring a lot to the field for the match-up with climate change. By ‘fixing’ atmospheric nitrogen, they reduce fertilizer needs across the whole crop cycle and lower greenhouse gas footprints. Many pulse crops are adapted to arid growing conditions and can tolerate drought stress better than most other crops, an important skill in a changing climate. They are definitely on the roster for Sustainable Development Goal 13.