Malnutrition or „hidden hunger? severely stunts human potential due to imbalanced diets and a lack of vital vitamins and minerals. Good health depends on the availability, affordability, and acceptability of the foods essential to a balanced diet, and these include hardy multipurpose food legumes that can be consumed as vegetables or grains. Grain legumes provide a third of humanity?s protein needs and for those living under subsistence conditions can provide twice this amount. They are the cheapest available source of protein for the poor, an important source of many essential micronutrients and a valuable source of animal nutrition and maintaining soil health. As often low-input crops they are well suited to poor farmers have a vital role to play in overcoming growing malnutrition, particularly in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Population growth over the next 40 years will require a doubling of food production in developing countries and climate change will make achieving this goal more uncertain. The strongest negative impacts of climate change are expected to be in sub-Saharan Africa and to a lesser extent in South Asia. Legume supplies in these regions may be increased by greater local production or through greater international trade.