Why Legumes ?
Grain legumes (beans, pulses and legume oilseeds) are beneficial for agriculture, environment and human nutrition.
In agriculture and environment
- Low input crop - as fix atmospheric nitrogen, don't require no nitrogen fertilizers, need little water so generally not irrigated
- good protein source for feed
- ideal in crop rotations as increase biodiversity (feed bees), and furnish some N to following crop
In human nutrition
- healthy protein source - pulses are low in saturated fats and rich in slowly digested carbohydrates and other bio-active factors
- inexpensive and long shelf life
- "green" food source, as have low carbon footprint
- ideal for "back-to-roots" diet - at the basis of most traditional cuisines
