Cool beans: Why 2024 is set to be the year of the legume
How do we feed the world without destroying the planet? It’s a question that’s been puzzling scientists for decades. Lab-grown meat? 3D printers? Turns out the answer – or at least part of it – has been here all along, gathering dust at the back of our cupboards.
“While there is no singular way to solve our complex challenges, there is a powerful ingredient: beans,” says Paul Newnham, executive director of the UN’s SDG2 Advocacy Hub, which aims to end hunger, achieve food security, improve nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture.
“Beans are a climate-positive solution that help tackle the global food, climate and cost of living crises,” he says. Small wonder the UN wants us to eat more of them. Its Beans Is How campaign aims to double global consumption by 2028, promoting beans as a simple and surprisingly versatile ingredient.
They are also incredibly nutritious. “Beans are fantastic for your health because they’re so high in fibre – more than most fruit or veg,” says Dr Emily Leeming, scientist, registered dietitian and author of the . “Half a can contains a whopping 7g of fibre – an amount linked to a 6 to 7 per cent lower risk of type II diabetes, heart disease and stroke.”
