ICARDA announces International Conference on Pulses for Drylands

On the occasion of the 2016 International Year of Pulses (IYP), ICARDA is planning an International Conference on Pulses for Health, Nutrition and Sustainable Agriculture for Drylands to be held in Marrakesh, Morocco, 18-20 April, 2016. The goal is to sensitize main actors in pulse research and industries about the more recent scientific findings on health, nutrition and environmental benefits of producing, processing and eating pulses.

This conference is expected to provide a platform to various stakeholders, including scientists, policy-makers, extension workers, traders and entrepreneurs, to discuss the various contributions of pulses to food and nutritional security and ecosystem health. Challenges ahead for driving greater production and benefits for all will be addressed with a focus on Central and West Asia, and North Africa. A roadmap will be developed for increasing productivity and profitability of pulses through diversification and intensification of cereal/livestock-based cropping systems.

ICARDA’s International Conference on Pulses, which is being organized along with INRA (Morocco) in partnership with FAO, OCP Foundation and CRP Grain Legumes, will have six technical sessions with keynote addresses delivered by distinguished scientists, a poster exhibition around major themes, a knowledge-sharing event on country experiences for mutual learning, and a field visit to research experiments on pulse crops at the Marchouch Research Station and farmers’ fields. To mark the 2016 International Year of Pulses (IYP), ICARDA is working with partners including international governments, the United Nations and scientists to host over a hundred events around the globe in 2016.