Millet International Initiative for Research and Awareness (MIIRA)
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- India is holding the Presidency of the G20 from December 1, 2022 to November 30, 2023. During India's time as G20 president, the country is committed to maintaining its focus on food security.
- Towards this goal, India plans to propose the launch of a global initiative to encourage millets consumption and production known as-- Millet International Initiative for Research and Awareness also known as MIIRA.
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MIIRA
- MIIRA, aims to coordinate millet research programs worldwide.
- The UN's declaration as the International Year of Millet 2023 has been instrumental for India to be at the forefront in celebrating the millet year. MIIRA is in line with this declaration. The MIIRA secretariat will be in Delhi.
- Besides setting up a web platform to connect researchers and holding international research conferences, the plan is also to promote millet consumption by raising awareness.
- Promoting millets not only raises awareness of these wonder crops, but also of women farmers and their farming knowledge. Raising awareness among farmers and the general public about the numerous benefits of millets can help to revitalise millets production and consumption in India.
- The vision is to make Millets a "people's movement" alongside positioning India as the "Global hub of millets".
Read all about Millet: https://www.iasgyan.in/daily-current-affairs/millet
Targets
- The government is targeting close to 21 million tonne (MT) of millet production in 2022-23; this stood at 14.5 MT in 2015-16. India’s exports stood at 159,332 tonne in FY22 versus 147,501 tonne in FY21.
- As per Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), global millet exports rose from $400 million in 2020 to $470 million in 2021, while India clocked $64.28 million in FY22 vs $59.8 in FY21.Global exports are likely to clock a CAGR of 4.5% over 2021 to 2026. APEDA has set an export target of $100 million by 2023-24.
Why is the millet push so important for India and the world?
- The FAO says millets are “an ideal solution for countries to increase self-sufficiency and reduce reliance on imported cereal grains” as they can grow on arid lands with minimal inputs and are resilient to changes in climate.
- At the launch of the IYM in December 2022, it also invoked millets ties to indigenous peoples’ culture and traditions, saying they “help guarantee food security in areas where they are culturally relevant.”
- India has long acknowledged millets’ place in its history, although the nutri-cereals suffered significant reversals in area under cultivation and production as well as role in Indians’ food baskets after the Green Revolution.
- Millets are richer in key nutrients than cereals that are, at present, considered staple, even as they have a lower glycemic index, with obvious implications for health in terms of reduced risk of diabetes and associated ailments.
- They are also vastly more climate-friendly, using 70% less water than rice, whose cultivation is also a source of GHG emissions. They need 40% less energy for processing and can survive extreme heat and water scarcity, making them ideal for cropping as climate change effects intensify and foodgrains such as rice and wheat increasingly come under threat.
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