Enhancing nutritional security and sustainable health through millets

Millets, a group of small-seeded grains belonging to the Poaceae family, gained global recognition with the declaration of 2023 as the International Year of Millets (IYM, 2023) by the United Nations General Assembly. With their exceptional nutritional composition and adaptability to diverse agro-climatic conditions, millets offer promising solutions to address malnutrition and enhance climate resilience in the agricultural sector. Several initiatives have been taken to increase millet consumption. Consequently, the market for millet-based products has seen a surge in entrepreneurship interest. To discuss and explore the key challenges of millet value and supply chain, an expert review meeting was held at CSIR-National Institute of Science Communication and Policy Research (CSIRNIScPR, New Delhi) as part of the ongoing other laboratory Project (NIScPR/OLP/0044) Enhancing nutritional security and sustainable health through millets in India: a policy perspective'. The meeting brought together experts from diverse backgrounds, including agricultural research, millet research, food technology, inclusive health and millet industry entrepreneurship.