Last year, FAO celebrated the International Year of Soils by drawing attention to the many key benefits of healthy soils, including their important role in food production. This year, as we focus on the International Year of Pulses, an important connection emerges: healthy soils are vital for pulses production, and many pulses improve soil health.

On April 19, FAO, Bioversity International and the Permanent Representation of Italy to the UN will jointly host the seminar “Soils and pulses: symbiosis for life”. The event will focus on the reciprocal relationship between soils and pulses, while also discussing how the cultivation of pulses can help achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

With expert panelists and keynote speakers from across the globe, the seminar will be divided into three sessions:

1. Encouraging the production of pulses to improve soil health.
   Focusing on pulses in crop rotations and intercropping to increase soil fertility, biodiversity and land productivity.
2. Pulses consumption for economic, social and human well-being. 
   Focusing on raising awareness about the nutritional value of pulses to help consumers adopt healthier diets.
3. How to develop good practices and policy solutions with a view to contributing to Agenda 2030 Implementation?
   Focusing specifically on how pulses can contribute to SDG2 (end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture) and SDG15 (protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainable manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss).

The event will take place on 19 April at FAO Headquarters in Rome from 9.30-13.00. For more information, and to register for the event, click here.