Beans and the SDGs

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a global blueprint adopted by all United Nations member states in 2015. They aim to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all by addressing critical challenges such as poverty, inequality, climate change, and the attainment of peace by 2030.

Beans are a simple, affordable solution that contribute to nutrition, health, economic growth, environmental sustainability, and social equity, making them a valuable crop in the global effort to achieve the SDGs.

Beans and other pulse crops are a cornerstone of the transition towards more sustainable agri-food systems with the potential to address the climate-biodiversity-nutrition nexus while boosting livelihoods and increasing the resilience of local and global food systems. The benefits that beans offer in their production and consumption contribute to multiple SDGs and highlight the immense impact that simple, cross-cutting solutions can have on global development.

The Beans is How campaign, which aims to double global bean consumption by 2028, has adopted a comprehensive approach to addressing global challenges through food systems transformation, supporting multiple SDGs

By promoting beans as a sustainable food source, we can support and contribute to achieving the SDGs, creating a more equitable, environmentally conscious food system.

Beans are an accessible, nutritious food source, particularly for low-income populations. Their cultivation generates income and boosts the resilience of some of the most vulnerable people, particularly smallholder farmers, contributing directly to poverty alleviation.

Beans, pulses, legumes and peas are locally available, affordable and accessible year round and thus a critical food group for improving food security. Additionally, beans  enhance dietary quality and diversity, being an excellent and affordable source of nutrients such as iron, folate, and zinc, which are crucial for preventing malnutrition, especially in children under five, adolescent girls, pregnant and lactating women, and older persons.

When grown by smallholder farmers, beans can help to boost the productivity and incomes of smallholder farmers, to achieve sustainable and resilient agriculture as well as protect biodiversity on the farms and on our plates. Their long shelf life ensures a stable food supply, particularly in vulnerable regions.

Beans are foundational for a long and healthy life. Beans are  rich in protein, dietary fiber, and essential micronutrients like potassium, iron, and B vitamins. They have no cholesterol, a low glycemic index. In this way, beans can help to prevent malnutrition as well as reduce the risk of chronic and non-communicable diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and certain cancers. High iron bean varieties help address anemia in women of child bearing age. Promoting bean consumption supports the goal of healthy lives for all.

Beans can support education by improving school meal programs. This helps children – especially girls – stay in school and promotes better learning outcomes. Additionally, educational programs can teach farmers and communities about sustainable bean production, processing, and marketing, while also sourcing beans from local farmers to support  their livelihoods. Beans is How is spreading awareness on the benefits of beans and mythbusting to various stakeholders, from consumers to farmers, through evidenced-based educational materials.

Women play a significant role in cultivating ,selling and preparing beans in many regions of the world. The crop can support women involved in small-scale farming and food preparation, contributing to gender equality and economic empowerment. With the right gender-transformative policies in place, beans can play a key role in economically empowering female producers and SMEs, nourishing the women and their households. 

Beans positively contribute to water-use efficiency as they require significantly less water to grow compared to many other crops, contributing to sustainable water use. Producing 1 kilogram of protein from beans uses far less water than producing the same amount of protein from animal protein sources. Beans also require little fertiliser to grow and thus reduces the risk of water pollution.

Beans reduce the environmental impacts of food production by reducing the need for energy-intensive farming. They grow quickly with less water and little fertiliser compared to other crops and enhance soil fertility by fixing nitrogen and reducing synthetic fertilizers, which lowers energy consumption.

Many varieties of beans and pulses can grow in harsh conditions. Supporting bean production and value addition creates jobs and improves livelihoods in various agricultural communities as well as in SMEs, fostering sustainable economic growth and decent work opportunities while protecting the planet.

The versatility of beans, with hundreds of varieties, opens up numerous market opportunities, including for women and those in rural areas.

The Beans is How campaign encourages innovation in bean farming, processing, and distribution, supporting sustainable infrastructure and advancements in agriculture. Beans and other pulses have an incredible genetic diversity, and bean breeding can support adaptability to climate, nutritional needs, cooking times, and taste, creating crop resilience.

Increasing global bean consumption helps reduce inequalities by ensuring that more people, especially in developing regions, have access to nutrient-rich food. When produced by smallholder farmers in rural areas, beans can boost the incomes and enhance livelihoods of poor rural communities who are among the bottom 40% of the population.

By encouraging the inclusion of beans in menus across cities, Beans is How promotes sustainable, healthy food choices in urban populations, Promoting growing beans in cities and communities also supports local economies and urban agriculture, fostering more resilient and sustainable communities.

Beans is How emphasizes the sustainable production of beans, which improves soil and water quality, uses less water than other crops, reduces the need for synthetic fertilizers and other chemicals and emits less harmful greenhouse gasses.

Consuming beans and understanding their benefits for our health, planet, and our wallets also leads to healthy and sustainable diets with lower carbon footprints. Beans have a long shelf-life that helps reduce waste and safeguards natural resources.

Beans contribute to climate resilience by enhancing soil health, reducing the carbon footprint of agriculture and boosting the adaptive capacity of smallholder farmers. They fix atmospheric nitrogen, reducing the need for synthetic fertilizers and lowering greenhouse gas emissions. Their long shelf-life also helps reduce food waste, minimizing associated climate impacts.

Promoting beans’ sustainable agricultural practices and less use of fertilisers reduces chemical runoff, protecting aquatic ecosystems and marine life from eutrophication.

Bean cultivation supports agricultural biodiversity, which is critical for maintaining healthy ecosystems. By improving soil health and reducing chemical use, bean cultivation helps protect the earth and enhance biodiversity as well as halt deforestation and desertification. Including beans in crop rotation also supports pollinators.

Beans promotes social equity through affordable nutrition and empowering communities with economic opportunities. Beans can also be grown in harsh conditions and can be easily stored and distributed, reducing food insecurity in vulnerable settings like conflicts, supporting peaceful societies.

The Beans is How campaign fosters cross-sectoral collaboration across the food system, involving a diverse set of stakeholders – influential restaurants, chefs, governments, private sector, researchers, civil society, and the private sector. It unites a coalition of over 100 partners in more than 50 countries, along with a Science and Innovation Advisory Council and a Bean Board, to scale up bean consumption globally and support sustainable development.