Millet is a general term for members of the grass family including sorghum, pearl millet, foxtail millet, proso millet which produce small seeds. It is also a major food resource in arid and semi-arid environments because it can be grown under non-irrigated conditions and requires less rainfall than major cereal grains such as wheat, rice and maize. Millet is also called “Nutri-Cereals” due to its high nutritional value, rich in vitamins and minerals such as iron and calcium, high in protein, dietary fiber, and resistant starch (indigestible starch), and low on the glycemic index, which helps prevent and manage diabetes. Thus, millets are expected to play a major role in global food security and hunger alleviation due to their high nutritional value and wide adaptability to the agro-ecological environment.

At the same time, millet has attracted little attention in agronomy and breeding research, thus its potentials have remained largely untapped. It is urgent to undertake research and international collaboration on millet as well as other underutilized crops to take advantage of their nutritional values and resilience to climate change.

The United Nations has designated 2023 as the "International Year of Millets" to recognize the role of millets in addressing nutritional, agricultural, and climate challenges, to raise awareness of the climate tolerance and nutritional benefits of millets, and to advocate for a diverse, balanced, and healthy diet through the sustainable production and increased consumption of millets. 

This Seminar will provide a forum for scientists engaged in millet research abroad and in Japan to discuss the potentials of millet research in addressing global climate and nutrition challenges.