Legumes, in addition to their rich nutritional value and varied gastronomic options, also have an advantage: they are inexpensive. In the celebration of World Pulses Day, which took place on February 10, the Director General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), QU Dongyu, highlighted the value of these foods for the sustainability.
Legumes could be important allies for a healthy and balanced diet for all populations, and for this reason, FAO has requested governments and international organizations to encourage research on different types of legumes to offer alternatives for farmers.
QU said that legumes can be considered a valuable piece of a puzzle because they offer a variety of flavors, resistance to cultivation and adaptation to landscapes.
FAO considers it important to improve the production and consumption of pulses, as a possibility to contribute to a more sustainable nutrition, which helps society to progress in the 2030 Agenda. For this, it is important to have more efforts to the development of studies and innovation.
Legumes are edible seeds of plants. Among these, we can mention, for example, beans, lentils, chickpeas, among others. They have valuable properties due to the amount of micronutrients, dietary fibers and minerals. They are usually a source of plant protein.