THE ROLE OF GRAIN LEGUMES IN GLOBAL FOOD SECURITY AND CLIMATE RESILIENCE
Keywords:
Grain legumes; food security; climate resilience; sustainable agriculture; pulses; protein crops; nitrogen fixation; global nutrition; climate change adaptation.Abstract
Grain legumes—including beans, peas, lentils, chickpeas, and cowpeas—have long been recognized as critical components of global agricultural systems. Rich in protein, micronutrients, and dietary fiber, they contribute substantially to human nutrition while also providing essential feed for livestock. Beyond their nutritional importance, grain legumes offer ecological benefits through biological nitrogen fixation, soil enrichment, and diversification of cropping systems. In an era of increasing climate uncertainty, population growth, and environmental degradation, grain legumes hold significant potential for advancing food security and building resilience against climate change. This paper examines the role of grain legumes in ensuring global food security, their contribution to climate-resilient agriculture, and the challenges impeding their wider adoption. Using a multidisciplinary approach, the article explores agronomic, nutritional, socio-economic, and ecological perspectives. It identifies key obstacles such as low productivity, underinvestment in research, market constraints, and vulnerability to climate shocks. Finally, the study proposes solutions ranging from breeding climate-smart varieties and integrating legumes into sustainable farming systems to developing supportive policies and investment frameworks.
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