Roma (Italy), Hybrid Event, 29/03/2024
©FAO
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) welcomes your participation in the closing ceremony of the International Year of Millets 2023. The event will take place in a hybrid modality in the Sheikh Zayed Centre at FAO headquarters and online.
Through the Year’s observance, the unique nutritional qualities and agronomic traits of millets were demonstrated, thereby raising awareness and directing critically needed policy attention to their suitability for sustainable crop production systems, especially with minimal inputs and under adverse and changing climatic conditions. Additionally, key business opportunities were validated for diverse actors along the crops’ value chains. The closing ceremony will be an opportunity for stocktaking of the outputs of the year-long observance, for instance: the Background paper, Millets Recipe Book, the Chefs Challenge, Photo Contest, and Stories from Millet Champions. The lessons learned from the considerable co-creation and sharing of knowledge through partnerships and networks, such as the Millets Community of Practice, will also be shared. Finally, the way forward for sustaining the momentum generated through the Year, especially to contribute to efforts to achieve the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, will be articulated.
Interpretation will be provided in the six official languages of FAO and an exhibition will be held in the atrium during the entire week (25 - 29 March).
Side Event | 9.30 – 10.30 |
Roundtable discussion: Research and development for the millet sector
Sheikh Zayed Center, Hybrid
Moderator: Fenton Beed, Senior Agricultural Officer, Plant Production and Protection Division, FAO
Agenda Item | Presenter |
---|---|
Opening by moderator | Fenton Beed Senior Agricultural Officer Plant Production and Protection Division FAO |
Opening remarks | Chike Mba Deputy Director Plant Production and Protection Division, NSP FAO |
Keynote Speech | Rebbie Harawa Director International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) Africa Programme |
Roundtable discussion | Panelists: · Fatma Sarsu, Senior Plant Breeder, Joint FAO/IAEA Center of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, International Atomic Energy Agency · Tara Satyavathi, Director, ICAR-Indian Institute of Millets Research, India · Giovanni Dinelli, Researcher and coordinator of the EU GREAT LIFE project, University of Bologna, Italy · Fritjof Boerstler, Senior Natural Resources Officer and Global Coordinator of the GEF-7 Impact Programs, FAO |
Closing remarks | Fenton Beed Senior Agricultural Officer Plant Production and Protection Division, NSP FAO |
Side event | 10.30 – 11.30 |
Panel discussion: How have millets had an impact on your life?
Sheikh Zayed Center, Hybrid
Moderator: Makiko Taguchi, Agricultural officer, Plant Production and Protection Division, FAO
Agenda Item | Presenter |
---|---|
Welcome | Makiko Taguchi Agricultural officer Plant Production and Protection Division FAO |
IYM official video | International Year of Millets 2023 - YouTube |
Panel discussion | Panelists: · Abderrahmane Benkhalifa, Researcher, Algeria · Fatmata Binta, Chef and Founder, Fulani Kitchen Foundation, Sierra Leone and Ghana · Hannah Binge, Researcher, Indigenous Grasslands for Grain team, Australia · Naima Dhore, Farmer, Youth, United States of America and Somalia · Patrick Mutepeya, Farmer, Zimbabwe |
Q&A | |
Closing | Makiko Taguchi Agricultural officer Plant Production and Protection Division FAO |
11.45 – 12.30 | Reception & Exhibition & Speaker’s corner
Atrium
Light lunch, visit to the IYM exhibition and interactive discussions in the Speakers’ corner.
·Nate Blum, Chief Executive Officer, Sorghum United, United States of America
·Hannah Binge, Researcher, Indigenous Grasslands for Grain team, Australia
·Tacko Ndiaye, Senior Officer, Inclusive Rural Transformation and Gender Equality Division, FAO
12.30 – 13.00 | Cooking demonstration with chef Fatmata Binta
Atrium
High-level event | 13.00 – 14.00 |
Official closing ceremony of the International Year of Millets 2023
Sheikh Zayed Center, Hybrid
Global, regional, national and local achievements of IYM 2023 & future prospects, and awards.
Moderator: Yurdi Yasmi, Special Coordinator, Plant Production and Protection Division, FAO
Agenda Item | Presenter |
Welcome by the moderator | Yurdi Yasmi Special Coordinator Plant Production and Protection Division FAO |
Opening remarks | QU Dongyu Director-General FAO |
Keynote speech | Maninder Kaur Dwivedi Additional Secretary, Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, India |
Keynote speech | Yaya Adisa Olaitan Olaniran Minister and Permanent Representative of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to FAO |
A Year in celebration of millets | Video |
Presentation of the IYM Photo Contest winning photo | Video |
Way forward | Jacqueline Hughes Director-General International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) India |
Closing remarks | Beth Bechdol Deputy Director-General FAO |