International Year of Millets: Mapping the way forward ahead of 2023

The Permanent Missions of India and Nigeria to the UN organized with FAO a virtual event today from New York to build momentum towards the International Year of Millets in 2023.

Millets are among the first plants to have been domesticated and are considered "nutri-cereals" due to their high nutritional content. While they have served as a traditional staple for hundreds of millions of people in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia for some 7 000 years – and are now cultivated across the world, their cultivation is declining. Accompanying this decline has been their untapped potential to address climate change and food security.

With this as a backdrop, the Government of India proposed an International Year of Millets in 2023, later endorsed by Members at FAO Governing Bodies and at the 75th Session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA). The resolution adopting the International Year was supported by over 70 countries.

With FAO providing the Secretariat for the International Year, today’s virtual event from New York commemorated the one-year adoption of the UNGA resolution. Discussions and presentations centered on building interest in next year’s celebrations. 

Elevating the profile of millets and aligning food security and nutrition discussions to the objectives of the Year

The International Year of Millets will be a unique opportunity to galvanize resources and knowhow to increase sustainable global production, post-harvest processing, marketing and consumption by promoting millets as a key component of the food basket.

Presenting at today’s event, on the work of the Secretariat and crosscutting benefits of millets to both people and planet, was Jingyuan Xia, Director of the FAO Plant Production and Protection Division.

“FAO is proud to serve as the technical lead to support the organization and celebration of the International Year of Millets in 2023,” Director Xia said, pointing to the unique opportunities afforded by millets and by the International Year to engage new actors – especially youth – in innovative approaches to the post-harvesting and marketing of millets, and in nurturing a greater dietary diversity among urban and rural populations alike.

The International Year aims to (i) elevate awareness of the contribution of millets for food security and nutrition (ii) inspire stakeholders on improving sustainable production and quality of millets; and (iii) draw focus for enhanced investment in research and development and extension services to achieve the other two aims.

“The year will promote the diversity, ecological benefits and nutritional value of millets to producers, value chain actors, consumers and to encourage decision makers in order to improve agri-food systems,” Xia added. 

Providing welcome remarks at today’s event were the Permanent Representative of India to the UN, Ambassador T.S. Tirumurti, and the Permanent Representative of Nigeria to the UN, Ambassador Tijjani Muhammad-Bande.

“The commemoration of International Year would draw focus for enhanced investments in research and development and extension services related to millets, contributing towards food security and nutrition, ensuring livelihoods, increasing incomes of farmers, poverty eradication, and the achievement of the SDGs, particularly in regions that are drought prone or threatened by climate change,” Ambassador Tirumurti said. 

Ambassador Muhammad-Bande echoed the sentiment, highlighting that millets can diversify diets and help combat malnutrition. Also speaking at the event was the Alternate Permanent Representative of India to FAO, IFAD and WFP in Rome, Bokammanti Rajender, who underscored the contribution of millets to global nutrition and climate resilience efforts. 

Other keynote presenters included Shubha Thakur, Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare of India, who spoke on the International Year as a driver to foster global demand and supply of millets; and the Director-General of the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Jacqueline d'Arros Hughes, who outlined ICRISAT's global research and development program of millets, including  new narratives on food, nutrition, and agriculture to more proactively include millets. 

Related links

• Watch the event’s recording.
• Revisit the presentation by the Director of the FAO Plant Production and Protection Division.