Repositioning Pulses in a Greening World

VANCOUVER - Feb 16/07 - SNS -- Canada's federal government has had an epiphany over the environment, even though the current policy appears to be that the other guy's policy is not green enough. With the possible exception of the Green Party, all of Canada's federal political parties are jockeying to be viewed as the least least green.

Changes in Ottawa's political climate and stronger policy changes in Washington have dramatically altered North American agriculture through the sudden emergence of an energy market for crops. People's ideas about the environment and their personal responsibility are also starting to evolve. An understanding that small actions by individuals are as or more important that large ones is emerging.

Agriculture's customers are starting to view the world differently. Markets can lead change, helping drive demand to new products, styles and uses. But, markets cannot afford to lag their customers. Sometimes it is better to shut up and let the customer drive the conversation. Some of the most successful Web 2.0 businesses let customers both define and create the product. The pulse industry can uniquely reposition itself in this new environment.

People grow pulses for several reasons, including the fact they reduce fertilizer requirements for the next crop and improve its yields. For growers, this impact is part of the economic benefit of pulses. For the pulse industry, this is an important selling point for consumers worried agriculture's environmental footprint.

By reducing fertilizer requirements, greenhouse gases are not created to produce and transport those chemicals, and the risk of groundwater and runoff contamination is lessened. For agriculturalists this may be a controversial statement. But, urbanites are not going to stick around for the fine points of the argument. They only want to know if this environmental risk is lowered. It is.

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