History

BEPA was formed in 1975 to succeed the Pea Pickers and Pea Packers Association.

The purpose of the association is to support the interests of its Members by:

• Liaising with UK Government and other national and international associations.
• Encouraging the consumption of home-produced pulses by promoting their value as healthy, high protein and high fibre foods.
• Adding to the diversity of UK-produced pulse crops by liaising with crop scientists and plant breeders.
• Providing a forum where members can exchange views, agree policy and develop their businesses through discussions on a variety of topics.

The achievements of BEPA include:

• The promotion of British pulses to export markets in the middle and far east.
• The identification of new varieties that allow UK-produced crops to replace imported produce.
• The development of seed and produce quality schemes, when needed, to ensure that UK pulses are of the highest quality for varietal purity.
• The extension of aid schemes to encompass human consumption pulses.
• The introduction of special recipes that exploit the value-for-money and nutritional properties of UK pulses.