International Year of Pulses: Taiwan, China Pulse Promotion in Action

[2016/10/15 Homemakers United Foundation Environmental Protection Foundation press conference notice]

International Year of Pulses - Taiwan Bean Formation Walk

The United Nations designated 2016 as the International Year of Pulses (IYP 2016), using this event to call on all countries to recognize the importance of various dried beans, beyond soybeans and groundnuts, for human nutrition, agriculture, soil and rural economies.

In Taiwan's early years, there was also considerable cultivation of dried beans. Back in 1972, of the 380,000 hectares of coarse grain production area, besides groundnuts, soybeans, runner beans, red beans and mung beans at about 76,000, 36,000, 5,000, 5,000 and 3,000 hectares respectively, there were also more than 9,000 hectares of other beans, meaning at least several more types of dried beans were being grown by the public on small areas. Unfortunately, due to the economic system, these have now almost all disappeared. According to 2014 statistics, the current cultivation status of various beans is: soybeans 1,652 hectares, runner beans 3 hectares, mung beans 129 hectares, red beans more than 6,000 hectares, other beans 249 hectares.

However, in recent years climate change has been severe, with crises from wind disasters, rain disasters and droughts continuing. Taiwan's current food self-sufficiency rate is only 30%, and coarse grains rely heavily on imports. Under the current situation of normalized climate change, the risk of relying heavily on imported food is extremely high. In addition, people's bean consumption is currently dominated by soybeans. Although the revival of local soybean cultivation has been gradually promoted in recent years, imported GM soybeans still make up the bulk. Since imported GM soybeans are resistant to herbicides, farmers can use large amounts of pesticides to remove weeds, posing threats to both the environment and health. If people could consume a diverse range of beans without over-relying on imported soybeans, there would be positive benefits from both nutritional and ecological perspectives.

Therefore, responding to the International Year of Pulses in Taiwan has a dual meaning: promoting greater diversity in people's consumption of bean foods, and increasing crop variety in the coarse grain revival movement.

In 2016, nearly ten organizations including the Homemakers United Foundation Environmental Protection Foundation and the Tse-Xin Organic Agriculture Foundation jointly launched actions in response to the International Year of Pulses. They also invited renowned chefs Chef Chien Tien-Tsai and Chef Wu Pao-Chun to develop menus featuring local beans as the star. Through activities such as planting beans and eating beans, they hope to call on consumers to recognize and support Taiwan's diverse local beans, and also call on the government to place greater emphasis on promoting coarse grains and to invest in variety preservation and research, preparing for climate change and food security issues!

On 10/15 (Sat), we will hold 4 "Taiwan Bean Formation Walk" events simultaneously in northern, central and southern Taiwan, China. Each location will have lectures, markets, bean cuisine sharing and other activities. Why would a tiny bean come into people's view and become the star of an international year through a United Nations General Assembly resolution? We invite the public to join the activities and understand the importance of beans!

Press contacts:

Homemakers United Foundation Environmental Protection Foundation, Chou Chia-Hui (0952-728-838, 02-23686211*12)

Tse-Xin Organic Agriculture Foundation, Kuo Chu-Chun (0926-782-993)

Organizers: Homemakers United Foundation Environmental Protection Foundation, Tse-Xin Organic Agriculture Foundation
Partner organizations: NTU Viewpoint Seed Network, Homemakers United Foundation Environmental Protection Foundation Taichung Branch, Homemakers United Foundation Consumers' Cooperative, Community College National Association, Fruit Creative Integrated Marketing, Taipei Cultural Exploration Association (Water Garden Organic Farmers' Market), National Taiwan University Department of Agronomy, National Chiayi University Department of Agronomy, Bending Down Farmers' Market, NCHU Organic Farmers' Market, Breeze Market, Zuochuang Health Living Culture Park.

[Taipei session]

• Time:2016.10.15 (Sat) 10:00-17:00
• Location:Footprints in the Field Market (No. 1, Section 1, Nanchang Road, Taipei City, National Taiwan Museum Nanmen Park)
• Content: We have specially invited Council of Agriculture Minister Tsao Chi-Hung to attend the press conference as a guest, leading attendees to plant Taiwan beans together and declare that "eating more beans is good for health and is a concrete action to save the Earth." Chef Shih Cheng-Chiao from Wu Pao-Chun Bakery will also bring the newly developed emperor bean bread to share with everyone!
• Event schedule:http://2016pulses.blogspot.tw/2016/10/blog-post.html
• Contacts:

Homemakers United Foundation Environmental Protection Foundation, Chou Chia-Hui (0952-728-838, 02-23686211*12)

Tse-Xin Organic Agriculture Foundation, Kuo Chu-Chun (0926-782-993)

[Taichung session]

• Time:2016.10.15 (Sat) 08:00-12:00
• Location:NCHU Organic Farmers' Market (No. 250, Guoguang Road, South District, Taichung City)
• Content: The Homemakers United Foundation Taichung Branch has designed various bean-themed challenge games, very suitable for parents and children to learn about local coarse grain crops together. Local bean dishes will also be shared on site.
• Event schedule:https://goo.gl/nG1NWw
• Contact: Homemakers United Foundation Environmental Protection Foundation Taichung Branch, Chung Han-Shu (0919-868590, 04-23755234)

[Kaohsiung Breeze session]

• Time:2016.10.15 (Sat) 08:00-11:30
• Location:Hakka Cultural Center Breeze Market (No. 217, Tongmeng 2nd Road, Sanmin District, Kaohsiung City)
• Content: Chef Shih Cheng-Chiao (Chef Blackie) from Wu Pao-Chun Bakery has developed a bread featuring "emperor bean" as the star, which will be shared with the public at the Breeze Market; all the emperor bean bread for tasting is also sponsored by Wu Pao-Chun Bakery. Market farmers will also share their home-style bean dishes with the public.
• Event schedule:http://2016pulses.blogspot.tw/2016/10/blog-post_5.html
• Contact: Tse-Xin Organic Agriculture Foundation, Chen Hsiao-Hsuan (0956-299-298)

[Kaohsiung Zuochuang session]

• Time:2016.10.15 (Sat) 13:00-18:00
• Location:Zuochuang Health Living Culture Park (No. 4, Nanda Road, Zuoying District, Kaohsiung City, inside Haiguang Club)
• Content: In response to the International Year of Pulses activities, Chef Chien Tien-Tsai has designed a total of seven dishes using local beans, and on site will also demonstrate and offer tastings of two of the dishes.
• Event schedule:http://2016pulses.blogspot.tw/2016/10/blog-post_2.html
• Contacts:

Homemakers United Foundation Environmental Protection Foundation, Wang Nan-Chi (0910-780-356)

Tse-Xin Organic Agriculture Foundation, Chen Hsiao-Hsuan (0956-299-298)