CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Pulses offer exceptional nutritional inputs to human diets, are economically affordable, use relatively little water compared to other protein sources, and also reduce the need for industrial fertilizers. Pulses can also fix hefty quantities of nitrogen in the soil, boosting fertility and reducing – by millions of tons globally – the need to apply the key nutrient for food crops. rotating legumes with grain crops could save up to 88 kilograms of nitrogen per hectare in Europe, where fertilizer use is high by international standards. Whereas the Green Revolution increased phenomenally the production of cereals, pulses have not kept pace; although critically needed, production has stagnated and even showing trends towards reduction as the case is in India, which has one of the highest malnourished people in the world. In 2013-14, India produced 19.25 million tonnes of pulses, which a year later came down to 17.3 million tonnes, necessitating more imports. For several decades after Independence, more or less until 2008, our production of pulses remained almost static—in the range of 14 million tonnes (Khadka, The Financial Express May 23, 2016).

The International Year of Pulses opens the door for celebration of the virtues of pulses not only for the current year but also for ages to come, much needed for humanity and for the health and well-being of the Earth itself and its biodiversity. Being a protein-rich, nearly fat-free super food, high in fiber, iron, calcium, folate and other B vitamins, incorporation of more of pulses in the regular diet can show instant results in terms of healthier humans with minimized risks from diseases including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and cancer. The IYP 2016 carries the strong message that every family should increase pulse consumption, on daily basis, reduce meat and help to make the planet Earth more livable. The governments should seriously revise agricultural strategies to give greater importance to production of pulses, more so in India, which has the largest vegetarian and semi-vegetarian population in the world, but unfortunately, racing fast in the world in an unhealthy competition, to gain the second position as the land of diabetics and sufferers of various degenerative diseases, especially cardiovascular and kidney related. The day when humanity embarks on a course of fibre rich pulses, in combination with unpolished cereals, say like the red or brown rice to satiate hunger for longer durations, regulating insulin release in the body, a new foundation will be laid for a healthier world. 

Modern cereal cropping systems in many developing nations has been paralleled by a decreased per capita production of traditional edible legume crops which contain much higher levels of most micronutrients (Welch et al., 1997). From the environmental angle planting of pulses is least demanding than other crops, more nourishing and protective for the soil, freeing it from pesticides, promoting healthy micro-flora, saving the waters from pollutants and eutrophication and  leaving behind less of carbon footprints, contributing towards a more secure climate for the planet. Moreover, pulses rich diet is less demanding on the water resources than cereal and meat rich and this revision in human diet can halt the rapidly receding water table widely happening in the world. Some recommendations favoring policies favouring pulses cultivation and incorporation in food are given here:

INDIA SHOULD AWAKEN TO TACKLE MALNUTRITION AT THE GRASSROOTS

Malnutrition and diet are now the largest risk factors responsible for the global burden of disease by far (Forouzanfar et al. 2015). The burden of malnutrition or improper nutrition in the country has to be borne by the entire country.  It has been estimated that The Government should resolve on a political consensus to have healthy citizens as the prime main target to realize the loftier goals of smart cities or villages.
India’s Ministry of Finance, in its Economic Survey 2015–16, the chapter on malnutrition, opens with this statement: “Imagine the government were an investor trying to maximise India’s long-run economic growth. Given fiscal and capacity constraints, where would it invest? This chapter shows that relatively low-cost maternal and early-life health and nutrition programs offer very high returns on investment” (India, Ministry of Finance 2016). India was, synonymous with malnutrition, having more than one third of the world’s stunted children, doubled the rate of stunting reduction in the past ten years (IFPRI 2015a). It is unfortunate that when proper nourishment is much needed during the development of brain and its cognitive powers millions of children are struck with malnutrition, especially protein deficiency.  Folic acid deficiency between 21 and 28 days after conception (when the neural tube closes) predisposes the foetus to a congenital malformation, called a neural tube defect, a preventable, but irreversible damage. Malnourished children have less energy and interest for learning that negatively influences cognitive development (Engle, 2010). The International Year of Pulses should hopefully make the Government to adopt steps to strengthen pulse cultivation in the country at any coast, which in due course will high rewards from the point of food supply, tackling malnutrition, more provision of pulses for MDM programmes in schools and for running community kitchen to supply pulse rich food at low cost to the poor.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Nutritional and medical benefits of pulses are recognized globally. Pulses hold key to India’s well being and the country is the largest producer, consumer and importer of pulses. Stagnation in pulse over the last few years, frequently experienced decline in production and escalating prices making the Government to import the commodity from outside, coupled with climatic uncertainties have ultimately caused decline in pulse consumption. Less of pulses are being used to prepare traditional food items using pulses as important ingredients (eg. idli, dosa etc. for which blackgram), affecting weakening the very nutritional base of the people.  The more abundantly produced, sold and consumed cereals like rice or wheat, which are also widely distributed through PDS are no compensation for the neglect suffered by pulses, especially in this country with the unique distinction of having tens of crores of vegetarians and semi-vegetarians in the world, for whom pulses should be at the core of nutrition. Shifting to more cereal based food habits, ever since the beginnings of the Green Revolution, the number of people suffering from degenerative diseases like diabetes and of cardiovascular nature have increased phenomenally. If we cannot feed the children with adequate proteins the country will have millions more of slow minded children in the population adding to the inglorious distinction of having one third population of physically retarded children in the world. To restore and maintain soil health, to strengthen the resilience of diversity-rich agriculture, to equip the Nation with strength to face the onslaughts of climatic change, our pulses base has to be strengthened. Unlike most other crops pulses instead of depleting agricultural soils increase soil health, and therefore should have a more important role to play in the future of Indian agriculture, until we realize the dream of recreating living soils where pulses and soils are in a symbiotic equilibrium. Wherever pulses grow they leave behind a healthier soil for the next crop. The few recommendations made for consideration are given here:

1. Promote changes in food habits to favour growing and consumption of  pulses which are more nourishing than cereals, yet taxing less on the water resources unlike rice or wheat or sugarcane
2. Monoculturing of crops should give way to promotion of pulses as intercrops. Pulses are to be grown as cover crops in more areas and as rotation crops for soil health, farmland diversity, pollination services and as insurance against uncertainties in climate, and to minimize external inputs, as pulses leave behind healthier soils where they grow.
3. As chemical inputs are lesser pulses are more environment friendly and are with least of carbon footprints  
4. Pulses increase farmland diversity and are insurance against crashing prices due to glut in production which drive farmers to desperation, financial hardships and even suicides (eg: due to frequent glut in production of tomato, sugarcane, onion etc.). The seeds are storable for long periods and much in demand all over the country
5. Farmers should be made to strengthen the traditional methods of crop rotation involving pulses as one element. FAO states that,   on an average, cereals grown after pulses yield 1.5 tonnes more per hectare than those not preceded by pulses, which is equal to the effect of 100 kilograms of nitrogen fertilizer.
6. Training programmes on sustainable soil management using pulses should be conducted countrywide, using the services of NGOs and self-help-groups
7. Awareness programmes on health benefits of pulses should be conducted repeatedly for every segment of society, from forest tribes to urbanites so that pulses cultivation and consumption greater importance.
8. The doctors, nutritionists and other healthcare professionals have to address in a big way the major problem of undernourishment and hidden hunger, where stomach is full, but body lacks nutrients. Medical prescriptions should also specify proper balanced diets with use of appropriate pulses in required quantities. The health professionals should have awareness on the superfood value of pulses and how best they can be used for management of degenerative diseases of cardiovascular system, diabetes etc. Also how best anemia and malnutrition could be tackled using pulses rich diet.
9. Agriculture must be closely linked to human nutrition and health. Cereal dominated agricultural system may be termed dysfunctional food system. Agriculture should not be merely for increasing bulk output. Micronutrient based malnutrition have affected both poor and the rich- the poor despite feeding the population with liberal amounts of PDS rice and wheat, and school children with starch-cereal dominated mid-day meals. Deficiencies like anemia are raging in the country.  
10. Subsidies and concessions should be given more for farmers growing pulses than cereals or sugarcane, which also deplete the water resources in an extreme way.
11. Nutritional education should be part of curriculum in the formal and informal educational systems. Simple scientific findings on nutrition, especially on the role of pulses, should be part of education.
12. At a time when retail market prices are more than double the farmers’ price, we have to provide farmers with minimum support price that makes pulses production attractive vis-a-vis crops like wheat and rice.
13. Pulses should be promoted as low carbon foot print crops.Nitrogen fertilizers and manures added to crops and crop residues are acted upon by soil micro-organisms which convert some of these nitrogen sources into nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas 300 times more powerful than CO2, which constitutes about 46% of the greenhouse gas emissions from global agriculture
14. Drought tolerant varieties have to be popularised in arid and semi-arid regions
15. Stopping export of common marine fishes will help the country thrive over the shortage of pulses, which we are required to import, as marine fish otherwise would have catered to the protein and other nutrient needs large number of especially coastal population, who are required to consume more pulses compounding to their shortage. Export promotion of marine fishes, is a step without paying much attention to meet the huge domestic demand for fish.  
16. India has the world’s largest public distribution system (PDS) in the world, mainly benefiting the poor. Under this scheme mainly cereals, namely rice and wheat are provided to the beneficiaries. Over-emphasis on these water-intensive crops have brought down the water table substantially. Groundwater depletion along with soil impoverishment are glaring phenomenon in the procuring states of Punjab and Haryana. Due to cultivation of rice in north-west India, the water table went down by 33 cm per year during 2002-08 (Balani, 2013). While both these dominant cereals in the PDS are starch rich, India has one of the most protein deficient population in the world. Of the Indian States exceptions are only Chattisgarh supplies 2 kg of blackgram and 2 kg other pulses per family under PDS system and Punjab supplies 2.5 kgs of pulses per card (-ibid-). It is strongly recommended that pulses should be given to the deserving through the PDS to tackle malnutrition at the roots.