MILLETS CONFERENCE 2023 - Future Super Food for The World

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in alternative, more sustainable food sources. One such food source is Millets, a group of small-seeded cereal grains that are grown in dry and semi-arid regions of the world. They have been staple foods for thousands of years in many parts of Asia, Africa, and Europe, but have declined in popularity in recent times due to the increased consumption of wheat and rice. They are known for their high nutritional value, drought tolerance, and resilience to extreme weather conditions.

In India, millets have been traditionally grown and consumed by the rural population but have recently gained popularity as a “super food” due to their health benefits and suitability to the changing climate conditions. Consequent to the initiative of the Government of India, the United Nations has declared the year 2023 as the International Year of Millets (IYOM).  This will create both domestic and global demand and enhance exports from India.

Millet is a storehouse of micronutrients, vitamins, and minerals. International Year of Millets will raise awareness about the contribution of millets for Food Security and Nutrition, motivate stakeholders for continuous production and quality improvement of millets and attract attention to increase investment in research and development services.

Finance Minister Ms. Nirmala Sitharaman described millets as ‘Shree Anna’ – the mother of all grains – during her budget speech for the year 2023-24. India is the largest producer and second largest exporter of ‘Shree Anna’ in the world, and that several types of millets such as  jowar, ragi, bajra, kuttu, ramdana, kangni, kutki, kodo, cheena, and sama are grown in the country. These have several health benefits and have been an integral part of India’s food for centuries.

Against this backdrop, ASSOCHAM in association with ICAR – NAARM, ICAR – IIMR and ICMR - National Institute of Nutrition are organising a National Conference on Millets: The Future Super Food for the World on 24^th March 2023 at Novotel HICC, Hyderabad. The conference will aim to engage stakeholders from domestic and international level and continue to promote and support the growth of millets, in order to create a more sustainable and equitable food system for all. 

The conference will mark the presence of key stakeholders, representatives from union and state governments, academia, start-ups, technology providers, R&D Institutes, Financial Institutes, food safety experts, FPO’s etc to share their knowledge in this area. This conference will offer unique branding and business opportunities to the organizations engaged in food processing & allied sector. The program has been designed as such to provide partners with a valuable opportunity to showcase their expertise and position them to further their business interests.

Given the scale of the conference and the opportunity it offers, we invite your Esteemed Organization to participate in the Conference and play a visibly strategic role in this event of great significance.

We look forward to your valuable participation at MILLETS CONFERENCE 2023.