Pulse Australia

International Year of Pulses 2016

There have already been so many wonderful events across Australia to promote and celebrate pulses with ambitious and innovative ideas to draw attention to an industry that has recently come of age in our country! 

'These are my pulses' 

'These are my pulses' photo and video competition has now closed. The Australian National Committee, with the support of Pulse Australia, launched a grower competition to capture and showcase Australian pulse growers’ stories from the 2015–16 growing season.

Check out this entry from Ash Teasdale, Rupanyup in the Victorian Wimmera, and be inspired to tell your story! You can find more great stories from around the world on the International Year of Pulses website.

The Weekly Times joined in with their own collection of great pulse images.

Your 'Pulse Pledge' and 'Pulse Feast'

All around the world people took the 'Pulse Pledge' and organised 'Pulse Feasts' for 6 January 2016. This rolling global launch of 2016 as International Year of Pulses was a resounding success with the social media Thunderclap reaching over 7 million people. There's no need to stop now! You can keep making and posting Pulse Pledge photos and videos using the 'Pulse Pledge' sign. This is a global social media campaign to raise awareness of the value of pulses. We'd be thrilled if you shared your posts on the International Year of Pulses–Australia facebook page too.

You can register your event or visit the global IYP site for more information.

Australian 2016 Pulse Feast from International Year of Pulses Aus on Vimeo.

Australian launch Gala dinner

The International Year of Pulses was launched in Australia at a pulsating gala evening of fine local food & wine, first class entertainment and a lively auction on 28 January 2016.

The local pulse industry and wider agricultural community came together to focus on enhancing the global profile of the pulse industry and recognise the significant role it plays in terms of nutrition, sustainable food production and crop rotations.

The gala dinner was a wonderful opportunity for friends and colleagues from across all sectors of the industry – and meet and network with personalities and leaders from the broader business, trade and political worlds.

Guest speakers at the launch dinner were:

• Mr Haakan Bahceci, Global Pulse Confederation IYP Chair, and the Assistant Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources, Senator the Hon. Anne Ruston joined leading companies, organisations, industry bodies and growers to celebrate the Australian Pulse Industry and the upcoming year of celebrations
• Annabel Crabb, host of Kitchen Cabinet and author of 'The Wife Drought' and 'Special Delivery Favourite Food to Make and Take', was MC for the evening
• Simon Bryant, star of the ABC’s 'The Cook and The Chef' and IYP Pulse Advocate, prepared the winning Australian Signature Dish for guests to sample.

We know the benefits that pulses bring to our individual and collective physical and financial wellbeing. The International Year of Pulses provides a unique opportunity to take that message to new and wider markets. Let’s seize the chance!

IYP was proudly supported by Principal Industry Partner—Blue Ribbon and Foods from the Earth.

National signature dish

The national Australian Signature Pulse Dish Competition drew over 60 excellent entries from around the country.

On 29 June judges narrowed the field to six finalists and IYP Australian advocate, Simon Bryant announced the National Signature Dish Recipe Competition winner at the Australian Grains Industry Conference in Melbourne on 29 July. The winning dish was Alison Victor's quinoa, black lentil & roasted barley salad with chickpeas, cauliflower, brussel sprouts and pomegranate in apple cider vinegar.

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  Australian Signature Dish by Alison Victor

  Quinoa, black lentil & roasted barley salad with chickpeas, cauliflower, brussel sprouts and pomegranate in apple cider vinegar

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  Amateur Dish and Signature Dish finalist

  Dorper lamb in lupin and za’tar crust with sweet potato and lupin salad Moroccan flavours (gluten free)

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  Healthy Dish finalist

  Black bean and mushroom tacos with lime salsa

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  Healthy Dish finalist

  Apple and cinnamon chickpea cake

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  Amateur Dish and Signature Dish finalist

  Split green pea soup with scallops, bacon, quinoa & black lentil parmesan crisps

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  Amateur Dish finalist

  Lentil balls with tagliatelle, greens and lemon pesto

To view recipes submitted as part of the competition, click here.

To download the Australian Signature Dish recipe card, click here.

Other exciting initiatives in Australia planned for 2016 include an Australian provenance online pulse cookbook, a blue-sky scoping workshop with Australian plant breeders, industry sessions at the 2016 Pulse Breeding Australia Conference and an Australian Pulse Health, Nutrition and Food Innovation Symposium.

Global themes

Australia was well-represented in the global IYP16 theme committees, including Ms Georgie Aley who chaired the international ‘Creating Awareness’ theme as well as being chair of the Australian National Committee. Ms Aley was then the Managing Director of the Grains & Legumes Nutrition Council and Non-Executive Director of Pulse Australia.

Pulse Australia Director, Sanjiv Dubey was a member of both the global ‘Market Access and Stability’ and ‘Productivity and Environmental Sustainability’ theme committees and Michelle Broom, Nutrition Program Manager at the Grains & Legumes Nutrition Council, was a member of the global ‘Food and Nutrition Security and Innovation’ theme.

More information: www.iyop.net

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