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Take the Pulse Pledge with APG for International Year of Pulses & Your Health JAN 6 2016 | Consumers | Blog Post and Event

Join the Alberta Pulse Growers (APG) by taking the Pulse Pledge today as Canadian International Year of Pulses (IYP) activities launch at a Pulse Feast in Toronto. Pulse Feasts are taking place today in different time zones around the world to celebrate the United Nations-declared year.

Allison Ammeter, Chair of APG and the IYP Canada Committee, will attend Canada’s Pulse Feast hosted by Chef Michael Smith of Food Network Canada. Launch guests will be encouraged to take the Pulse Pledge, a commitment to increase pulse consumption to improve their health and nutrition.

“Pulses are so great for health and the environment that encouraging more people around the world to take the Pulse Pledge is something we can all feel good about,” said Ammeter, who already enjoys eating and cooking with the pulses grown on her family’s farm. “If you are new to pulses, pledge to incorporate them into your diet once a week for 10 weeks to start. If you are already eating pulses, pledge to eat pulses three times a week. How about including half a cup of pulses into your diet every day? It quickly adds up to improved nutrition!”

As people eat more pulses, Alberta farmers will sell more pulses, Ammeter explained. This will contribute to APG’s mission and new five-year strategic plan to increase pulse consumption by 100 grams per capita per week. Another focused action for APG is to influence the development of pulse products to increase pulse consumption in domestic and key international markets, as well as to develop a vibrant value-added processing industry in Alberta.

This will, in turn, contribute to the realization of another target of the APG strategic plan, which is to increase the arable land planted to pulse crops in Alberta from eight per cent to 15 per cent over five years. This past growing season, Alberta farmers grew pulses on 1.8 million acres.

“IYP is an opportunity to capture the attention of consumers and the food industry, to demonstrate how incorporating more pulses into their diets and food products can improve nutrition and also support the environment,” Ammeter said. “It will leverage the international focus on pulses to build more demand for the pulses that Canadian growers are producing.”

The IYP Canada Committee consists of representatives from APG and its counterparts in other provinces, Pulse Canada, and industry representatives. Ultimately, the goal of IYP Canada is to contribute to the sustainable and profitable growth of the Canadian pulse industry. To learn more about the wide range of activities that support that goal and to learn how you can join the effort, visit www.iypcanada.ca.