Benefiting from putting pulses on your plate

Consumers want food that is tasty and nutritious. More and more consumers are also looking for information about the environmental impact related to the production of their food. The good news for consumers is that many farmers have changed their cropping systems to make them more environmentally friendly. Consumers can now make environmentally smart food choices when shopping for tasty nutritious foods.

Choosing pulses (peas, beans, lentils and chickpeas), and foods made with pulse ingredients gives consumers foods that are good for them and good for the planet. For example, if you buy pasta that is made from 25 per cent lentil flour instead of the traditional 100 per cent durum wheat flour, you increase your fibre intake by 100 per cent, increase your protein intake by 25 per cent and reduce the on-farm carbon footprint by up to 26 per cent.

The environmental benefits of pulses come from their ability to draw nitrogen from the atmosphere to use as a fertilizer. Using solar energy to power their fertilizer production means that pulses use half the non-renewable energy of other crops and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by requiring less fertilizer.

Research and innovation in plant biotechnology and crop protection products have helped farmers grow pulses on more land by increasing yields and protecting pulse crops from pests.

Pulse crops are good for the environment, good for farmers and good for consumers.

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