NITI Aayog has joined hands with the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) to address issues related to the inclusion of millets in government programmes. Its aim is to have a more diversified food basket under its free food distribution programme with a focus on coarse grains and millets.
Under the statement of intent signed between the Aayog and the United Nations World Food Program (WFP), the focus will be on mainstreaming millets and strengthening climate-resilient agriculture for enhanced food and nutrition security in India.
Several steps have been taken to promote millets, including the establishment of a centre for excellence, the inclusion of Nutri-cereals in the National Food Security Act, and the formation of Millet Missions in multiple states.
The joint venture wants that under the distribution system, focus be shifted to food distribution programmes from ‘calories fundamentalism’ to providing a more diversified food basket, including coarse grains and millets, to improve the nutritional status of preschool children and women of reproductive age.
In fact, Aayog and WFP intend to identify and address these challenges in a systematic and effective manner. The government had observed 2018 as a year of millets to encourage and promote millet production in India and declared 2023 as the International Year of Millets, in line with the United Nations General Assembly resolution.
The partnership focuses on mainstreaming millets and supporting India in taking the lead globally in knowledge exchange. Furthermore, the partnership will aim to build resilient livelihoods for small-holder farmers and adapt to climate change by transforming food systems.
The main plan is that the two parties will work in four phases, including the development of a best practise compendium around millet mainstreaming and a scale-up strategy in the first phase. In the second phase, they will support the scale-up of millet mainstreaming through knowledge sharing and intense engagement with select states, while they will leverage India’s expertise to support developing countries for millet mainstreaming in the third phase and work on building capacities for climate resilient and adaptive livelihood practises in the fourth phase.