The United Nations General Assembly at its 75th session in March 2021 declared 2023 the International Year of Millets (IYM 2023). FAO is the lead agency for celebrating the Year in collaboration with other relevant stakeholders. Millets can grow on arid lands with minimal inputs and are resilient to changes in climate. They are therefore an ideal solution for countries to increase self-sufficiency and reduce reliance on imported cereal grains.

#IYM2023 will be an opportunity to raise awareness of, and direct policy attention to the nutritional and health benefits of millets and their suitability for cultivation under adverse and changing climatic conditions. The Year will also promote the sustainable production of millets, while highlighting their potential to provide new sustainable market opportunities for producers and consumers.

The IYM communication handbook and toolkit provides background about the IYM objectives, slogan, theme, facts, key messages, calls for action and visual identity, in addition to calling for the submission of human interest stories, providing a communications toolkit and highlighting ways to get engaged in IYM celebrations.

FAO assesses that globally 45 countries, including 33 in Africa, nine in Asia, two in Latin America and the Caribbean, and one in Europe, are in need of external assistance for food. Multi-year high inflation rates continue to aggravate food insecurity conditions, particularly in low‑income food-deficit countries. Conflicts and extreme weather events remain the key drivers of severe acute food insecurity across the globe, with particular concerns for countries in East and West Africa.