The United Nations has set ending hunger, achieving food security and improved nutrition, and promoting sustainable agriculture as the second of its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for the year 2030. India’s mission for all is now moving towards Nutritional Security. The Indian Council for Agricultural Research recommends Millets as the alternative cereal of the future and has developed the millets value chain to create demand for millets. India has branded millets as nutri cereals as they are high in protein and fiber, have slow-release good carbs, minerals and vitamins and are gluten free. Millets also offer a huge opportunity to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and Climate Security as its production requires transforming foods and land use systems.
Sponsored by India and supported by 70 nations, the UN General Assembly declared 2023 as the International Year of Millets to position millets in global diets in tackling malnutrition and moving towards nutritional security. Indonesia is a potential partner in promoting millets as an alternative nutritious food with regards to demographics, land and usage of flour (in their ready to cook and ready to eat foods). Indonesia is tackling the food security challenge and malnutrition by developing various indigenous plants and scouting for new alternative resources.
The PINTAR program, which stands for Innovative, Tolerant and Responsive Youth, is conducting a HEALTHY INDONESIAN CUISINE WITH MILLET project initiated by the Embassy of India, Jakarta and executed by Inotek Foundation. It is supported by PINTAR Community, INDIKA Foundation, Chairos, food startups, 3sixty and Agrinex Farm. Of the 150 young, innovative and eager participants, more than 60% are women. To be a youngpreneur, join the program and experiment with innovative and creative cuisines using millet and unleash potential business opportunities for the future.
A One Cup Serving of Millet Fills…
- Planting Millet: Real social action educating the younger generation about Millet as an alternative food resource.
- Cooking Competitions: Competitions to find new and innovative food recipes using millet as a highly nutritious food source combined with Indonesian traditional and modern cuisine. The two categories for the competition are: Indonesian Food using Millets, and New innovation Recipes using Millet. This competition will also build the entrepreneurial spirit where each group will develop their business models with business ideas in millet-based food products.
- Millet Cuisine Food Tasting: Award ceremony for the winners of the cooking competition. The dishes will be presented by each group, and judged by the jury.
The HEALTHY INDONESIAN CUISINE WITH MILLET project will leverage the youth and engage them as entrepreneurs to help tackle the problems of malnutrition and also ensure greater food security. The project will provide momentum to the International Year of Millets and popularize millets as a nutritional and sustainable food source, engendering greater food security in the future.
