Pulse Canada is hoping a new consumer marketing campaign will help consumers realize the benefits of eating more peas, lentils, beans and chickpeas.

The campaign will be launched this November in conjunction with the United Nations recognizing 2016 as the International Year of Pulses.

Pulse Canada CEO Gordon Bacon hopes the campaign will get people thinking about the health benefits of pulses.

"What we're seeing in the developing world, is high levels of obesity in adults and undernutrition in children in the same household," he explained. "What we want to do is start to make the connection between diet and health outcomes. I really think that's going to be a trend that we're going to see for the next decade, whether it's in the western world or in the developing world and that's a shift from just thinking about alleviating hunger to a shift to focusing on food to provide health solutions as well."

The marketing campaign will receive $3.5 million in support from Western Economic Diversification Canada.

Canada is the world's largest producer of peas and lentils and is the world's biggest exporter of pulses.