21 June  2016, Cairo –  The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) named Ms Maggie Habib as a special Ambassador for the International Year of Pulses 2016 (IYP) for the Near East and North Africa (NENA).

The Egyptian Ms Habib joins a group of five regional ambassadors for the International Year who will support FAO in promoting the health and environmental benefit of pulses through international events and outreach to media.

During a Media Ifar that was held by FAO Regional Office for the Near East and North Africa, Mr. Abdessalam Ould Ahmed, FAO Assistant -Direction and NENA Regional Representative stated “The 68th UN General Assembly declared 2016 the International Year of Pulses and The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has been nominated to facilitate the implementation of the Year in collaboration with Governments, relevant organizations, non-governmental organizations and all other relevant stakeholders.”

“The IYP 2016 aims to raise public awareness on the nutritional benefits of pulses, boost their production and trade, and encourage new and smarter uses throughout food chain.” Ould Ahmed added.

In his speech, Ould Ahmed emphasized the major role pulses can play in achieving the global Zero Hunger goal by 2030 because of their nutrient-density, affordability and positive impact on soil. He also stated that pulses can contribute to climate change mitigation by reducing dependence on synthetic fertilizers used to artificially introduce nitrogen into the soil.

“We have appointed Ms Maggie Habib for her high passion towards healthy nutrition and household food security, and balanced healthy recipes for children and mothers, as well as her commitment to the revival of traditional foods in Egypt and in the region, in addition to extensive local and traditional food knowledge”, Ould Ahmed said during the Designation Ceremony of Ms Habib and the Media Iftar.

He added: “We are very confident that the designation of Ms Habib with her knowledge and influence will amplify the message that increasing the consumption of pulses can improve the quality of people’s diet and their overall health in the NENA region and Egypt in specific, especially that pulses are available that part of the diet our region, thus there is a huge room to increase its consumption. We believe that her role would also send a strong message to countries of the NENA region and Egypt in specific, on the potential of pulses to improve food security”.

Ms Habib commented: "I am pleased that I was chosen by FAO as a special ambassador for IYP 2016. This was a big dream coming true, but it is also a big responsibility. With help from FAO, the organisation that works with thousands of people in rural areas to develop agriculture, I will work to raise awareness and encourage people in the region to change their food routines. I will stress the importance of pulses in achieving food security and encourage people in all the countries of the region to ensure that pulses remain a main item on their food tables."

In his speech at the Iftar ceremony, Ould Ahmed congratulated the representatives of the media on the occasion of Ramadan, thanked them for their valuable role in educating the public on the issues of food security and the fight against hunger and highlighted the big challenges of sustainable development in the NENA region, such as water scarcity and climate change. During IYP 2016, Ms Habib will work to promote FAO’s messages through all possible media and channels; raise public awareness on the positive impact of pulses on climate change, human health and soil biology, and increase opportunities for dialogue, participation and access to information on pulses. She will also work to motivate relevant stakeholders to take advantage of the IYP to encourage connections throughout the food chain in order to better utilize pulse-based proteins, further global production of pulses, crop rotations and to address the challenges in the trade of pulses.

Pulses will play an important role in achieving the global Zero Hunger goal by 2030 because of their nutrient density, affordability, and positive impact on soil. Furthermore, pulses can contribute to climate change mitigation by reducing dependence on synthetic fertilizers used to artificially introduce nitrogen into the soil.IYP aims to raise public awareness on the nutritional benefits of pulses, boost their production and trade, and encourage new and smarter uses throughout the food chain. In addition to Habib, FAO special ambassadors for IYP 2016 include Ms Jenny Chandler from Britain (for the region of Europe), Joyce Boye from Canada (for the region of North America), Kadambot Siddique from India (for the Asia-Pacific region), and Elizabeth Mpofu from Zimbabwe (for the Africa region). A special ambassador for the Latin America and the Caribbean region is yet to be nominated.  

The IYP is engaging key players, including farmers, researchers, academia, the private sector, indigenous people and their representatives, in developed and developing country-driven activities throughout the world.