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India Hosted on millets to strategize production and consumption globally | AGS
India hosted a roundtable on millets to strategize production and consumption globally. The roundtable was held in Hyderabad and was attended by Agriculture Ministers from 12 countries. The roundtable was organized by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT). The roundtable aimed to promote the production and consumption of millets globally and to create a platform for sharing knowledge and best practices in millet production and consumption.
Now millets grown in more than 130 countries, millets are the traditional food for more than half a billion people in Asia and Africa.
“MIIRA” or Millet International Initiative for Research and Awareness will be aimed at coordinating millet research programmes at the international level.
India, one of the world's largest producers of millets, recently hosted a roundtable on millets in order to strategize their production and consumption globally. The roundtable was attended by representatives from various countries, as well as experts in the field of agriculture and nutrition.
Millets are a group of small-seeded grasses that have been a staple food in many parts of the world for thousands of years. They are known for their resilience and ability to grow in harsh conditions, making them an important crop for farmers in developing countries. In recent years, millets have gained popularity among health-conscious consumers due to their high nutritional value and low glycemic index.
The roundtable aimed to promote the production and consumption of millets as a means of achieving food and nutrition security. Discussions centered around increasing awareness about the benefits of millets, developing policies to support their production and marketing, and promoting research and innovation in the field.
One of the key outcomes of the roundtable was the formation of a global millets network that will bring together stakeholders from across the world to work towards common goals. The network will facilitate knowledge sharing, collaboration and coordination between governments, civil society organizations, research institutions and the private sector.
India's Agriculture Minister, Narendra Singh Tomar, stressed the need for millets to be given greater attention in agricultural research and development programs. He also emphasized the importance of promoting millets as a part of healthy diets and highlighted the potential of millets to provide livelihood opportunities for smallholder farmers.
Experts at the roundtable also highlighted the role that millets can play in mitigating climate change. Millets require less water than other crops and are highly adaptable to diverse agro-ecological conditions, making them a promising crop for building resilience in the face of climate change.
In conclusion, the roundtable on millets hosted by India was a significant step towards promoting the production and consumption of millets globally. The formation of a global millets network and the commitment of various stakeholders to work together towards common goals is an encouraging development. By promoting the production and consumption of millets, we can not only achieve food and nutrition security but also contribute towards building a more sustainable and resilient food system.
“MIIRA” or Millet International Initiative for Research and Awareness will be aimed at coordinating millet research programmes at the international level.
MIIRA will aim to connect millet research organisations across the world. It is in line with the UN declaring 2023 as the International Year of Millets, the proposal for which was moved by India and supported by 72 countries.
According to the web search results, MIIRA stands for Millet International Initiative for Research and Awareness. It is a proposed global initiative by India to promote the consumption and production of millets1. It is in line with the UN declaring 2023 as the International Year of Millets12. The aim of MIIRA is to connect millet research organisations across the world and support research on these crops123. Millets are considered to be “powerhouses of nutrition” and can help address issues like food security and climate change.
For MIIRA to take off, India will contribute the “seed money”, while each G20 member will later have to contribute to its budget in the form of a membership fee. The MIIRA secretariat will be in Delhi.
