Winnipeg, MB (Rural Roots Canada) – Pulse Canada is welcoming a new commitment by the governments of Canada and India to explore the creation of a Canada–India Joint Pulse Protein Centre of Excellence.
The announcement came as Prime Minister Mark Carney and his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, launched negotiations toward a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between the two countries.
Pulse Canada says the proposed centre signals a shared effort to strengthen collaboration on food and nutrition security through research, processing innovation and capacity building focused on pulse crops such as lentils, peas and chickpeas.
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“For Pulse Canada and its members, this approach underscores the value of partnership-led engagement, bringing together industry, academia and government to focus on the role pulses can play in the future of food,” said Greg Cherewyk, the organization’s president.
The group says pulses already play a key role in the Canada–India relationship, contributing to farmer livelihoods and nutrition security. A delegation from Pulse Canada and its members is in India this week for meetings aimed at reinforcing that partnership.
Terry Youzwa, chair of Pulse Canada, said the CEPA negotiations will be vital to “leveraging the full potential of our pulse partnership well into the future.”
Pulse Canada says joint work on nutrition outcomes, ingredient functionality and processing alignment could help ensure pulses are integrated into more large-scale food and nutrition applications.
