Compendium of Millet Success Stories Launched in New Delhi to Foster Global Adoption

New Delhi:  A comprehensive compendium featuring field stories from Asian and African countries, including India, was launched today in New Delhi. The initiative, a collaboration between NITI Aayog and the World Food Programme (WFP), aims to promote capacity building and scaling up of best practices in millet adoption globally. The compendium marks the successful realization of the Mapping and Exchange of Good Practices (MEGP) Initiative for Millets Mainstreaming in Asia and Africa, initiated in July 2022.

Speaking at the launch, Shri Suman Bery, Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog, highlighted India’s successful promotion of millets for climate resilience, food security, and the livelihoods of small farmers, particularly women. He expressed the importance of making millets more fashionable and popular due to their health benefits, especially for lifestyle-related choices.

Ms. Elisabeth Faure, Country Director, WFP, India, emphasized the significance of collaboration to strengthen the food security of small farmers through expert deployment, knowledge transfer, policy dialogue, and study visits. The compendium includes inspiring case stories to help countries learn and invest in traditional climate-resilient crops such as millet.

The compendium is expected to serve as a reference for integrating millets into mainstream food systems, providing insights for informed decision-making and facilitating exchange through South-South Cooperation and policy dialogues. Key areas discussed during the launch included the promotion of millets as a staple food, dietary diversification through millets, and a focused increase in investments and productivity.

Other notable participants in the launch and discussion were Ms. Pradnya Paithankar, Head of Unit-Climate Change, Resilient Food Systems, and DRR, WFP; Dr. Rajeshwar Chandel, Vice Chancellor, Dr. Y. S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Himachal Pradesh; Shri Sanjay Aggarwal, Assistant Director-General, ICRISAT; and Chef Manjit Gill, President, Indian Federation of Culinary Associations.