International Conference Explores Millets’ Role in Food Security amid Climate Challenges
Aligarh : The Aligarh Muslim University, Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, AMU hosted a Joint International Conference on “Millets for Food Security: Sustainable Resilience to Climate Change, Pests and Diseases” recently. The event, held at the JNMC Auditorium, attracted delegates and experts from across the globe which marked a significant milestone in advocating for millets’ role in global food security amidst climate change challenges.
Chairing the inaugural session, the AMU, Vice Chancellor, Prof. Mohammad Gulrez, articulated his deep concern regarding the nutritional security of the populace. He underscored the potential of millets as a valuable resource in addressing nutritional deficiencies prevalent in our daily diet.
The Chief Guest Dr. Trilochan Mohapatra, Chairman of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights (PPV&FR) Authority said the stakeholders from national and international community should join hands for sustainable millet production to ensure food security and take an action towards climate adaptation. He emphasized that the “Millet production and consumption should be taken side my side.
The occasion also witnessed the presence Dr. T Mark Nas from CIMMYT, Kenya; Dr. Scovia Adikini from NaSARRI, Uganda; Dr. P K. Chakrabarty, Former ADG, and Member, ASRB, ICAR, Dr, Jacqueline Hughes, Director General, ICRISAT, India, Dr. Ndjido A Kane, ISRA-Senegal, Dr. C Tara Satyavati, Director ICAR-IIMR, India, Dr. Yves Vigouroux (Universite de Montpeller, France and Dr. Aly Abousabaa-Director, ICARDA, Lebanon.
Prof. Mujeebur Rahman Khan, the Convenor and Organizing Secretary, highlighted the critical importance of millets in global food security. With their resilience to climate extremes and diseases, millets offer a sustainable pathway towards self-sufficiency in food production. He emphasized the need to address plant protection aspects in millet cultivation, crucial for mitigating potential threats from pests and diseases aggravated by climate change.
The conference facilitated discussions on innovative strategies to enhance millet productivity while ensuring food security and farmer livelihoods. Co-organizing Secretary Dr. Kevin V. Pixley (Dryland Program Director), CIMMYT-Mexico underscored the significance of millets in addressing contemporary agricultural challenges and expressed optimism about the conference’s outcomes in developing sustainable solutions.
The technical sessions delved into diverse topics ranging from global food production scenarios to mitigation strategies for millet cultivation under changing climatic conditions. Notably, discussions highlighted the need for promoting millet cultivation across agro-climatic zones, integrating millets into dietary habits for improved nutrition, and leveraging millets in crop rotation to manage pests and diseases in other crops.
Key recommendations emerged from the conference, including promoting bio-pesticides and bio-fertilizers, advocating for integrated pest management strategies, and incentivizing millet cultivation. Additionally, the conference urged for quality control measures on microbial formulations and emphasized the conservation of water resources by discouraging excessive rice cultivation under tube well irrigation.
The event concluded with the presentation of Best Poster Awards and the submission of the conference report, approved by delegates, to various agencies. Prof. Khan, expressed gratitude to all participants for their contribution.