EURICE Joins INCREASE Project in World Pulses Day Celebrations 2026
Shared meals, shared futures: pulses at the heart of sustainable, healthy and delicious foods
On 10 February, the world celebrates World Pulses Day, a United Nations-designated occasion to recognise the vital role of pulses in achieving sustainable and healthy food systems, nutritious diets, and environmental resilience.
This year, the INCREASE project invites everyone to mark the occasion by celebrating the versatility of pulses through shared meals featuring delicious legumes. Coming together around the table highlights how pulses like beans, lentils, chickpeas and lupins connect people across cultures, enriching our culture, health and planet.
Pulses for Sustainable Food Systems and Healthy Diets
Pulses are nutrient-rich, climate-friendly crops that fix nitrogen in soils, reduce the need for artificial fertilisers, support biodiversity and thrive with lower water inputs than many other protein sources. By supporting more resilient farming systems, pulses play a key role in sustainable food production. Not only are they good for the planet, but pulses are also essential for a healthy diet. Their versatility on the plate, from traditional stews to innovative plant-based dishes, shows that sustainability, healthy diet and great taste go hand in hand, making pulses essential for sustainable, affordable, and inclusive diets worldwide.
Find Inspiration – and Share It on ‘The Taste of Pulses’
INCREASE makes sharing a pulses meal with family and friends easy: The ‘Taste of Pulses’ campaign offers a growing collection of recipes from around Europe and provides the option for anyone – citizens, chefs, restaurants, schools, associations and canteens – to share their own favourite meal made of pulses.
In the run-up to World Pulses Day, INCREASE encourages everyone to take action: register your pulses-related events and submit your favourite pulse-based recipes via ‘The Taste of Pulses’ website, helping to showcase the diversity and creativity of pulses across Europe and inspire others to cook, share and celebrate pulses together!
INCREASE is sharing a selection of recipes to inspire culinary get-togethers through its social media channels:
- Facebook: pulses.increase
- Instagram: pulsesincrease
- Bluesky: PulsesINCREASE
- YouTube: PulsesINCREASE
Join the INCREASE Citizen Science Experiment
The World Pulses Day celebration also links closely with the INCREASE Citizen Science Experiment, where people can grow and document different bean varieties, contributing to scientific research and agro-biodiversity conservation.
The good news: it is still time to join and take part in hands-on research! Enthusiasts, gardeners, food lovers and curious minds can register for the 2026 round of the INCREASE Citizen Science Experiment until 28 February 2026 via the INCREASE CSA app. No specialised equipment is needed, just a love for pulses, a smartphone and a space to grow. Participants receive a selection of diverse bean seeds, learn hands-on about plant traits, document their observations using the app and can share seeds and culinary recipes with fellow citizen scientists across Europe.
Join us! Grow the beans, share the taste of pulses – and become part of a community shaping more sustainable food futures together.
