Pulses and beans, belonging to the legume family, are responsible for feeding majority of the world’s poor. Grown abundantly in the tropics, they are cheap, high in nutrient content, and healthy. Beans are an important source of proteins, complex carbohydrates, and micronutrients. People in sub-Saharan Africa consume as much as 66 kilograms of pulses per person per year. Legumes are also necessary to sustain farming systems. They help in replenishing lost nutrients in the soil, thus cutting down on the need to use chemical fertilizers. In addition, they provide rich fodder for farm animals.
As per statistics provided by United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), dry beans are the most important legumes worldwide, in terms of production and cultivated area. India is a major producer of dry beans, chickpeas, and lentils. Its total pulse production accounts for 23.1 per cent of the global produce. The other major pulse producing countries are China (12.08%), Canada (6.7%), Myanmar (7.57%), and Brazil (4.03%). Taken together, these countries are responsible for more than half of the global pulse production. As of 2013, India was the largest producer of dry beans, contributing 16.8 per cent to the global market.
