STAT Communications Ag Market News

Global Pulse Use Drive

ROME - Dec 11/19 - SNS -- The Global Pulse Confederation (GPC) has teamed with the FAO to promote the cultivation and consumption of pulses around the globe.

The agreement "provides a framework for the FAO and the GPC to demonstrate leadership in the development of the global pulse sector", said Cindy Brown, Board President of the Global Pulse Confederation, which has 24 national association as well as 600 private-sector members.

For FAO, closer ties will build on the successful collaboration with the International Year of Pulses celebrated in 2016, for which the GPC became the main donor. The new partnership aims to move from advocacy to on-the-ground actions including a pilot programme in Burkina Faso and mapping out ways to leverage value chains for products such as cowpeas and Bambara beans.

FAO and the GPC will work together to boost the visibility of World Pulses Day - February 10 - around the world, with the GPC using its networks to encourage greater private-sector participation.

They will also cooperate to identify at least three investment opportunities involving at least 1 000 smallholders each and pitching the plan to potential investors. To support that, FAO will conduct value-chain analyses using its AgrInvest framework in selected countries, while the GPC will analyse the discovered opportunities and propose business plans to investors and donors.

The AgrInvest approach leverages FAO's expertise to de-risk private-sector investment opportunities in agri-food systems and value chains of developing countries - where approximately three-quarters of the world's agricultural value-added activities take place - by conducting assessments and research and facilitating public-private policy dialogues.

The current partnership will directly support FAO's new Hand-in-Hand Initiative. Three months ago, the GPC committed to support FAO's Hand-In-Hand Initiative in Burkina Faso - where FAO is scouting out bankable opportunities where women's roles are significant - marking one of the first contributions to the new development approach championed by FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu.

Only active subscribers can read all of this article.

If you are a subscriber, please log into the website.

If you are not a subscriber, click here to subscribe to this edition of the STAT website and to learn more about becoming a subscriber.