At Varanasi meeting, G2O nations express support for MAHARISHI millets initiative

G20 member nations expressed their support for the launch of the 'Millets And Other Ancient Grains International Research Initiative (MAHARISHI)' during the Meeting of Agricultural Chief Scientists (MACS) in Varasani, Uttar Pradesh. The meeting was held from April 17-19.

According to the outcome document released at the end of the meeting, the initiative aims to promote research collaboration on climate-resilient and nutritious grains, including millets and other underutilized grains. It will supplement the efforts undertaken under the International Year of Millets 2023 program initiated by the United Nations General Assembly.

The agricultural secretariats of G20 nations recognized the challenges of achieving impact across multiple grains due to dispersed efforts and emphasized the need for a framework that can be applied to the grains under this initiative. They also highlighted that any G20 member may voluntarily contribute funds, scientific expertise, and/or other resources to the initiative.

According to the meeting's final outcome paper, the MAHARISHI project plans to work with both public and commercial groups to further research these grains. According to the G20 MACS guiding principles, it will last no more than two years and be followed up with a written report at the 2025 G20 MACS.

The final outcome document also stated that the MAHARISHI initiative aims to establish mechanisms to connect researchers and institutions working on identified grain crops in order to enhance the dissemination of research findings, identify research gaps and needs, and support open-access publication of research results.

Online portals will be created to link researchers, exchange data, share communication materials, and disseminate theme briefs to promote open and accessible information sharing in research.

To encourage academics to work on these grains, the program will also conduct information transfer, capacity-building initiatives, and international research workshops and conferences on voluntarily and mutually agreed-upon terms. Scientists will get prizes and/or incentives for their research and innovation in order to encourage and support their research goals.

Regarding implementation, all countries agreed that the MAHARISHI secretariat will be housed in the Indian Institute of Millets Research (IIMR), Hyderabad, with technical assistance from the One CGIAR, International Organizations (IOs), and research institutes.