Smart Food is a global initiative led by the ICRISAT, a member of the CGIAR System Organization, and is jointly led with FARA, CORAF, FANRPAN and APAARI.

History

Smart Food Initiative was launched by ICRISAT in 2013. A major objective under the initiative is to promote the consumption of Millets, Sorghum and Legumes. Ms. Joanna Kane-Potaka, Assistant Director-General, External Relations, ICRISAT, is the executive director of Smart Food Initiative which is currently hosted at ICRISAT. In January 2019, an Executive Council was established through the signing of Memorandums of Understanding. All Executive Council members have equal voting rights: Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), Asia-Pacific Association of Agricultural Research Institutions (APAARI), Food Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network (FANRPAN), West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development (CORAF), along with the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT). In India, Smart Food is co-led by ICAR- IIMR. First Lady of Niger,

Lalla Malika Issoufou Lalla Malika Issoufou (born 14 February 1975) is a Nigerien medical doctor and patron of many charities. She served as First Lady of Niger, alongside Aïssata Issoufou Mahamadou, from 7 April 2011 to 2 April 2021 as the second wife of President M ...

became the ambassador of Smart Food in March, 2019.

The Smart Food approach

This initiative leads a campaign to drive demand and to develop value chains for Smart Food crops. To benefit

smallholder A smallholding or smallholder is a small farm operating under a small-scale agriculture model. Definitions vary widely for what constitutes a smallholder or small-scale farm, including factors such as size, food production technique or technolo ...

farmers and poor rural communities via research and outreach programs in countries like East and South Africa (

Kenya Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...

Tanzania Tanzania, officially the United Republic of Tanzania, is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It is bordered by Uganda to the northwest; Kenya to the northeast; the Indian Ocean to the east; Mozambique and Malawi to t ...

Malawi Malawi, officially the Republic of Malawi, is a landlocked country in Southeastern Africa. It is bordered by Zambia to the west, Tanzania to the north and northeast, and Mozambique to the east, south, and southwest. Malawi spans over and ...

), West and Central Africa (Niger, Nigeria, Mali) and

Asia Pacific Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...

(

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...

Myanmar Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and has ...

). Smart Food initiative envisions Smart Food crops becoming a part of regular diets and the food system by building

millets Millets () are a highly varied group of small-seeded grasses, widely grown around the world as cereal crops or grains for fodder and human food. Most millets belong to the tribe Paniceae. Millets are important crops in the semiarid tropics ...

and

sorghum ''Sorghum bicolor'', commonly called sorghum () and also known as great millet, broomcorn, guinea corn, durra, imphee, jowar, or milo, is a species in the Poaceae, grass genus ''Sorghum (genus), Sorghum'' cultivated for its grain. The grain i ...

Smart Food reality TV shows

In 2017, The first Smart Food reality TV show was held in Kenya. The first Smart Food Culinary Challenge was launched with 58 student chefs from 16 culinary institutes across India. The show was held at the Organics and Millets International Trade Fair in Bengaluru in January, 2019.

Awards and recognition

*Smart Food was selected by

USAID The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is an agency of the United States government that has been responsible for administering civilian United States foreign aid, foreign aid and development assistance. Established in 19 ...

and Australia as winning innovation for 2017 at Global Platform Launch Food

References

{{reflist 2013 establishments Food and drink companies established in 2013