Symposium on food grains highlights fighting hunger and food security

As part of the program for the celebration of the International Year of Food Grain Legumes (IYP 2016), Embrapa Arroz e Feijão, together with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Technical Assistance and Rural Extension Company of the State of Goiás (Emater/GO) are promoting the symposium 'Sustainability in the production of food grain legumes in Brazil', which will be held on October 7th, at Fazenda Capivara, headquarters of Embrapa Arroz e Feijão, located in Santo Antônio from Goiás (GO).

The event is attended by representatives from the state and municipalities, extension agents, rural consultants and producers from the region. The objective is to discuss how research and extension can contribute to the sustainable production of these legumes, so topics relating to productivity and social, economic and environmental aspects will be addressed. This event is expected to reinforce the importance of consuming food grain legumes as great allies in the fight against child malnutrition, obesity and inclusion in the human diet.

The symposium program consists of five themes: 1) Food grain legumes and their relationship with food security – Gustavo Chianca (FAO); 2) The social importance of food grain legumes for the State of Goiás – Pedro Antônio Arraes Pereira (Emater-GO); 3) The economic contribution of food grain legumes to the country – Marcelo Eduardo Lüders (Correpar Corretora); 4) Research contributions to the environmental sustainability of food grain legume production in the country – Alcido Wander (Embrapa Rice and Beans); and 5) GTEC's secrets for the success of beans – Hélio Dal Bello (GTEC-Feijão). Brazil is the largest producer and consumer of common beans in the world, producing and consuming around 2,7 million every year of tons. Seven out of 10 Brazilians consume beans every day, making them the symbolic dish of our gastronomic culture.

Currently, the State of Mato Grosso is the new frontier for common beans and cowpeas, being cultivated around 200 thousand hectares and generating good expectations of access to the national and international market.

With common beans, with white, red, striped or black beans, for example, there is room for investment in exports, as the country is a potential global supplier of these beans, competing directly with the United States, Argentina and seeking customers in Asia, Europe , Central America and Africa.

In this way, the International Year of Food Grain Legumes (IYP 2016) will enable a series of discussions about how much progress we can still make in relation to the knowledge of these foods, highlighting to Brazilian society the still unexplored potential of these legumes and strengthening the fight against global hunger and malnutrition.