(April 24, 2025) - Millets thrive on arid lands, require minimal inputs, and are highly tolerant to climate variability—making them a sustainable solution for enhancing self-sufficiency and reducing reliance on imported cereals.
Recognizing their critical role in addressing global security and climate resilience, the United Nations General Assembly declared 2023 the International Year of Millets (IYM 2023). While the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) spearheaded global efforts to raise awareness of the importance of these nutrient-rich, climate-resilient crops, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), with its dedicated laboratories managed through the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture (Joint Centre) continued to dedicate some of its research and development investments to these crops.
The IYM 2023 catalysed momentum for increased research, investment, and policy support across the millet value chain. In support of this global initiative, the IAEA, through the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture , launched a Coordinated Research Project (CRP) titled Accelerated Genetic Improvement of Key Dryland Millets for Climate Change Adaptation. This project aims to develop novel genetic stocks of key dryland millet species—pearl millet, finger millet, foxtail millet and proso millet—by applying mutation breeding and advanced biotechnologies, including genomics and gene editing. Underscoring the importance and timeliness of this CRP for global food security and nutrition, Dongxin Feng, the Director of the Joint Centre said that “these objectives align with the efforts of countries to bolster the resilience of their cropping systems against worsening environmental and socioeconomic shocks through diversification beyond a few staples, some of which are imported”.
Now in its second year, the project, which is managed by the Joint Centre’s Plant Breeding and Genetics Section, has built a strong international consortium of leading research institutes, universities, and agricultural organizations from Burkina Faso, China, Ethiopia, India, Namibia, Sri Lanka and the USA. FAO’s Plant Production and Protection Division collaborates in the consortium, especially by supporting the identification of priority country specific constraints to the millets value chain.
A Research Coordination Meeting for the project took place from 7–11 April 2025 in Vienna, Austria during which progress was assessed and the next steps agreed. This meeting provided a platform for participating scientists to present early results, exchange knowledge, and jointly develop complementary work plans. The discussions focused on deploying high-throughput digital phenotyping tools, integrating genomics, and applying novel breeding technologies to fast-track varietal development. Emphasis was also placed on improving millet resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses, as well as enhancing nutritional profiles to meet global health needs. The state-of-the-art laboratories of the Joint Centre, located in Seibersdorf - about 45 km outside Vienna, which the participants toured, was recognized as a critically important resource, especially for the developing country participants, for screening the large numbers of mutants that would be developed through this initiative.
“This CRP is not only generating new scientific knowledge but also strengthening national capacities in plant breeding and genetics, while supporting smallholder farmers through the development of adaptable, productive, and resilient millet varieties”, said Fatma Sarsu of the Plant Breeding and Genetics Section of the Joint Centre who, as the scientific secretary of the CRP, coordinates this global consortium of plant scientists. “The initiative embodies a holistic, interdisciplinary approach, addressing breeding, agronomy, climate resilience, value addition, market development, and policy advocacy”, she added.
By forging global partnerships, fostering innovation, and building scientific capacity, this project illustrates how collaborative research can drive sustainable transformation in the millet sector and beyond—ensuring resilient agrifood systems for future generations.
