Unleashing the potential of millets

FAO

Unleashing the potential of millets

International Year of Millets 2023. Background paper

Year of publication 2023

Place of publication Rome, Italy ;

Pages 80 p.

Author FAO

Publisher FAO ;

Product type Book (stand-alone)

ISBN 978-92-5-138105-2

Full item page

Synopsis (short abstract) The United Nations General Assembly declared 2023 the International Year of Millets (IYM 2023). Millets’ diversity and ability to thrive on drylands with minimal inputs make them a valuable contribution to food security, healthy diets and nutrition in many countries. Each millet species provides different essential nutrients. They are an ideal solution for countries to improve food security and nutrition, and  contribute to transforming food systems.   IYM2023 provides an opportunity to raise awareness of and direct policy attention to millets' nutritional and health benefits and their suitability for cultivation under adverse and changing climatic conditions.  The sustainable production of millets provides opportunities for stable market linkages and decent jobs on- and off-farm-. Millets being small-grained cereals offer significant prospects for innovation in harvesting, processing and food technologies to create products attractive to consumers. This paper includes a synopsis of the current status of millets worldwide and was created to inspire policymakers, farmers, civil society, opinion leaders, research and development agents, and the general public to reconsider the role of millets in diversified and healthy diets.

Last updated 23/01/2024

Cite this content as:

FAO. 2023. Unleashing the potential of millets – International Year of Millets 2023. Background paper. Rome.

https://doi.org/10.4060/cc7484en

Language English

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The United Nations General Assembly designated 2023 as the International Year of Millets (IYM 2023), recognizing the diverse and resilient nature of millets that thrive in drylands with minimal inputs. Each species of millets offers distinct essential nutrients, making them an ideal solution to enhance food security, and nutrition, and transform food systems across nations.  IYM 2023 was crucial in raising awareness and directing policy attention towards millets' nutritional benefits and adaptability to adverse and changing climatic conditions. This report summarizes the objectives, activities, legacy and recommendations from IYM 2023. Its goal is to inspire key stakeholders to ensure that the year's conclusion marks the beginning of a new era dedicated to promoting sustainable production and consumption of millets.
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The United Nations General Assembly at its 75th session in March 2021 declared 2023 the International Year of Millets (IYM). The IYM 2023 is 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. It is an occasion to promote the sustainable production of millets while also highlighting their potential to create sustainable market opportunities for producers and consumers. The IYM communication handbook and toolkit provides background about the IYM objectives, slogan, theme, facts, key messages, calls for action and visual identity, in addition to calling for the submission of human interest stories, providing a communications toolkit and highlighting ways to get engaged in IYM celebrations.
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Also available in:

Arabic
Chinese
French
Russian
Spanish

The United Nations General Assembly declared 2023 the International Year of Millets (IYM 2023). Millets’ diversity and ability to thrive on arid lands with minimal inputs make them a valuable contribution to healthy diets and nutrition in many countries. Each millet variety contributes different essential nutrients. They are an ideal solution for countries to increase self-sufficiency and transform their food system towards increased resilience.This recipe book is a legacy of the IYM 2023 and aims to raise awareness of the diversity of millets and to promote their consumption by sharing enticing recipes embracing different regions, tastes, cuisines, cooking skills and the versatility of millets.The recipes selected for this book were collected through the Global Chefs’ Challenge, which called on chefs and hobby cooks to explore cooking with millets and share photos and videos of their favouirite millets-based dish.