International Year of Millets 2023
Indian Embassy in Astana is celebrating the Millet Food Festival as part of the ‘International Year of Millets 2023’ on its 77th Independence Day of India on August 15, 2023. As part of IYM 2023 celebrations, the Indian Embassy in Astana collaborated with an Indian restaurant - ‘India Gate’ - to launch a Millet Food Festival. The food festival got off to a wonderful start as the Indian restaurant displayed its culinary skill through innovative millet dishes.
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Recognizing the importance of Millets, the Government of India, guided by the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, spearheaded the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Resolution for declaring the year 2023 as International Year of Millets. The proposal of India was supported by 72 countries, and UNGA declared 2023 as the International Year of Millets (IYM 2023) in March 2021. India commemorated IYM 2023 with organization of various high-level events in addition to customizing postal stamp and currency coin.
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FAO is the lead agency for celebrating IYM 2023 in collaboration with other relevant stakeholders. FAO stated that Millets are incredible ancestral crops with high nutritional value. Millets can play an important role and contribute to our collective efforts to empower smallholder farmers, achieve sustainable development, eliminate hunger, adapt to climate change, promote biodiversity, and transform agrifood systems. Millets can grow on arid lands with minimal inputs and are resilient to changes in climate. They are therefore an ideal solution for countries to increase self-sufficiency and reduce reliance on imported cereal grains.
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Millets encompass a diverse group of cereals and include Sorghum ( Jowar), Pearl Millet (Bajra), Finger Millet (Ragi), Little Millet (Kutki), Foxtail Millet (Kakun), Proso Millet (Cheena), Barnyard Millet (Sawa), Kodo Millet (Kodon) and teff. They are an important source of nourishment for millions of people in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. They are deeply rooted in Indigenous Peoples’ culture and traditions and help guarantee food security in areas where they are culturally relevant and are one of the oldest foods known to humans. Millets were among the first crops to be domesticated in India with several pieces of evidence pointing to their consumption during the Indus valley civilization.
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Millets are gluten-free, low glycaemic index, and are known for a wide range of nutritional benefits. It is said that regular consumption of millets can lower the risk of diabetes and obesity, improve cholesterol levels, and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. #IYM2023 will be an opportunity to raise awareness of, and direct policy attention to the nutritional and health benefits of millets and their suitability for cultivation under adverse and changing climatic conditions. #IYM2023 will also promote the sustainable production of millets while highlighting their potential to provide new sustainable market opportunities for producers and consumers. #IYM 2023 hopes to galvanize interest in millets among various stakeholders like farmers, youth, and civil society and push governments and policymakers to priorities the production and trade of these cereals.
