People’s Convention “Millet for Millions”

The United Nation has declared 2023 as the “International Year of Millets”. To celebrate millets gaining international attention, Revitalising Rainfed Agriculture Network (RRA Network) has organized People’s convention  “Millets for Millions” to celebrate millet festival with millet champions who are working relentlessly to preserve, conserve and promote millets in India and Globally.

The Revitalising Rainfed Agriculture Network (RRA Network) invited partnerships and collaborations across the country to own, support, convene the People’s Convention. To collaboratively chart pathways for civil society, research institutions, enterprises and for the government to bring back millets into localized food systems and to Celebrate the Rich Cultural Traditions and Diversity of Millets and contribute to the Policy Discussions on ‘Millets for People’, Antarlina Karmakar and Sandeep Sahu from CWS attended the program in New Delhi.

Focal Areas and Policy Discussions

• MILLETS IN PUBLIC DIETS CONTRIBUTING TO MITIGATE MALNUTRITION : Encouraging large scale consumption of millets by inclusion of millets in PDS ◼ Inclusion of millets in ICDS for better nutritional outcomes for women and children
• DECENTRALIZED SUPPORT SERVICES FOR ENABLING LOCALIZED MILLET FOOD SYSTEMS : Evolving support systems for decentralized millet processing ◼ Enabling policies to strengthen millet markets and local economies
• MILLETS IN AGROECOLOGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE : Strengthening agrobiodiversity of millets: Community-managed millet seed systems ◼ Breaking the barriers in millets productivity through sustainable intensification and multi-cropping systems

Learnings : The People’s Convention was a hub where representatives from all over India (28 states) who participated to promote millets “on farms and on plates”, at nation-wide scale because millets can improve resilience to climate change, reduce water shortages and address nutritional challenges. Almost every district in the country can produce, process and consume millets. A proportional shift to millets can stimulate local economies and cut down long-food supply chains. Millets can regain their status in production and consumption with favourable public policies and investments. Introducing unpolished millets locally in ICDS, Mid-day meals, and PDS replacing a proportion of rice/ wheat can stimulate demand, production and investments in millet value chains.

The People’s Convention on Millets for Millions is the first step in making IYOM as an inclusive agenda for people and ecosystems. RRA Network aims to create an enabling environment for reclaiming millets as the people’s food to benefit millions of people: farmers, wage workers, women, children, entrepreneurs and consumers. The People’s Convention also celebrate the rich cultural diversity associated with millets by recognizing their centrality in local food systems. Centre for World Solidarity (CWS) is one of the Collaborating Network partners of RRA Network and “Bhoomi Ka” is one of the proud strategic partners of People’s convention “Millets for Millions” organised by RRA Network to celebrate millet festival with millet champions who are working relentlessly to preserve, conserve and promote millets in India and Globally.

Proceedings – The People’s Convention – Millets for Millions