 "Millet")
During the 100th G20 meeting under India's presidency, the meeting of agricultural chief scientists (MACS) on April 19, reached the unanimous decision to launch an initiative named MAHARISHI. This stands for "Millets And Other Ancient Grains International Research Initiative."
This initiative is aimed to bolster research and awareness concerning agro-biodiversity, food security, and nutrition, aligning with the International Year of Millets 2023 (IYoM 2023) programme initiated by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
What is the MAHARISHI Initiative?
MAHARISHI is a Sanskrit acronym for an initiative proposed by India towards advancing research in the field of millets and other ancient grains.
The initiative's secretariat is based at the Indian Institute of Millets Research (IIMR) in Hyderabad, with crucial technical support from the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), One CGIAR Centres, and other international organisations
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This was decided in April during the 12th MACS meeting. The theme of the meeting was "Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems for Healthy People and Planet."
What is the purpose of the initiative?
India's MAHARISHI Initiative was conceived to address the challenges of dispersed efforts in research across various grains. It aims to focus on millets and other underutilised grains
Its goals include:
Enhance food security and nutrition: MAHARISHI aims to facilitate research collaboration on climate-resilient and nutritious grains, including millets and other ancient grains. This effort complements the ongoing International Year of Millets 2023 programme.
Strengthen agricultural resilience: Through approaches like climate-resilient agriculture and "One Health", the initiative aims to build resilience in agriculture systems which can contribute to sustainable food production.
Digital transformation: It promotes digitalisation in agriculture, embracing technology to modernise and transform agricultural practices.
Public-private partnerships: MAHARISHI fosters collaboration between public and private organisations to advance research on these grains, identifying research gaps and needs.
The Chinese roadblock
Although the MAHARISHI acronym was included in the outcome document released after the G20 Meeting of Agricultural Chief Scientists (MACS) in April, China raised objections to using a Sanskrit acronym in international documents. It must be noted that China did not object to the proposal itself, instead, it highlighted a broader linguistic and cultural challenge.
As a result of this objection, the acronym MAHARISHI was omitted from the chair's summary released after the G20 Agriculture Ministers' meeting in June. It remains to be seen whether it will return to the joint declaration.
China had also previously raised objections to using the Sanskrit phrase "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam" in G20 ministerial outcome documents, a Sanskrit is "not recognised as an official language by the UN."
India's continued emphasis on millets
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been a vocal advocate for promoting millets, affectionately naming them "Shree Anna." Millet-based menus have also been a consistent feature at G20-related events during India's presidency.
To further emphasise millets, spouses of G20 leaders visited the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) in West Delhi to enjoy a lunch featuring millet dishes prepared by renowned chefs from across the country, as earlier reported by Business Standard.
Collaboration and knowledge sharing
The MAHARISHI initiative also seeks collaboration with various organisations and institutions to disseminate research findings and identify gaps and needs. A web platform is also in the works to facilitate communication and information sharing among researchers in an open and accessible manner.
Additionally, India has proposed knowledge transfer activities on millets, including capacity-building initiatives and international research workshops and conferences, to encourage researchers to work on these grains.
India's MAHARISHI Initiative is a significant step toward addressing global food security, nutrition, and sustainable agriculture challenges. While it faced linguistic challenges internationally, its focus on research collaboration and knowledge sharing for millets and ancient grains holds promise for a healthier and more sustainable future.
