La Sapienza University and FAO jointly organized the International Year of Pulses (IYP) Regional Dialogue for Europe and Central Asia on Nutritious seeds for a sustainable future held at La Sapienza University in Rome on 12 October 2016. This dialogue is part of a series of regional dialogues to enhance local and regional discussions on the important role of pulses.

The objectives of the Regional Dialogue are to:

• Understand/Document the “state-of-the-art” on pulses in the Region in terms of opportunities and challenges, including existing policy environment;
• Agree on common priorities for advocacy and promotion of pulses in the Region;
• Identify knowledge gaps and research needs.

The outcomes of this Dialogue will provide regional overviews of the opportunities, challenges, existing policy environment supporting/hindering the promotion of pulses. These outcomes will be addressed in the IYP Global Dialogue, which will be held in FAO headquarters at the end of 2016.