Comprendre les enjeux de l'agriculture

The global market for hummus currently represents annual sales of $2 billion. It is expected to grow to $6.7 billion in 2027. In the United States, the market has exploded, growing from sales of $5 million in 1996 to $725 million in 2016.  But this ancient dish now seems to be threatened with extinction due to climate change. The social repercussions would be dramatic: 20% of the global population, particularly in the three main producer countries – Ethiopia, India and Pakistan – depends on hummus as its principal source of protein. In 2018, there was a worldwide shortage of chickpeas because of the drought in India, which supplies 60% of global production. Like most of our crops, cultivated chickpeas lack genetic diversity. Climate change makes them particularly vulnerable to parasites and diseases according to the FAO. Chickpeas are particularly rich in protein, fibre and micro-nutriments and are low in fats. They are also good for the environment as they absorb nitrogen from the atmosphere even though they do not need it as a fertiliser. Whereas chickpeas have become fashionable for use in vegan recipes in the West, they have been grown for 10 thousand years in Mesopotamia.

Source : ft.com