OUR CHALLENGE

The world's food system is facing major challenges. In food production, the amount and quality of agricultural land available is under strain due to a combination of unsustainable growing and harvesting practices, climate change and destruction of natural environments. Animal protein production in its current model uses very high quantities of water, produces high carbon emissions, and takes up large tracts of land. The quest for sustainable agriculture is something we support.

In terms of how food affects health and well-being, hunger remains a fundamental issue in many countries. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization calculates that some 795 million people in the world do not have enough food to lead a healthy active life, with 13.5 percent of people in developing countries being undernourished (State of Food Insecurity in the World, FAO, 2015). In addition, both developed and developing countries are facing the dual problems of diseases caused by over-nutrition, such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension and heart disease; and conversely, malnutrition. While obesity and malnutrition may not seem to have much in common, they are in fact often two sides of the same coin, influenced by the affordability of food, its quality and access - also known as food security.

The chickpea has historically been an important source of protein in many cultures which grows well in arid, low water conditions and in rocky soil, providing high yields of plant protein in limited amounts of space. The chickpea being a legume actually enriches the soil it is grown in by absorbing nitrogen from the environment and injecting it into the soil through its root system.

100 grams of uncooked chickpeas has more protein than the same quantity of raw ground beef (USDA), while its production is much more friendly to the environment. Chickpeas are high in fiber, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium and calcium; the FDA says that a diet high in fiber can lower cholesterol and the reduce chance of heart disease.

OUR SOLUTION

The Chickpea Institute provides a platform to discuss and address these important issues through the lens of one product, Cicer arietinum L. The Chickpea Institute bridges the gap between countries and cultures which traditionally consume chickpeas as a major source of protein and people who are more recently becoming aware of the health, economic, and environmental benefits of eating chickpeas. We create channels to facilitate agricultural, nutrition, and market research and programs, and at the consumer level, educate people with nutrition facts and recipes.