Hyderabad, May 2: ICRISAT, in partnership with the Fortified Whole Grain Alliance (FWGA), convened the Project Inception and Stakeholder Workshop for the initiative titled “Advancing whole grain processing technologies and improving consumer acceptability of whole grain foods” at its headquarters on April 28, 2026.
The three-year project (2026–2028), supported by the Novo Nordisk Foundation, aims to promote fortified whole grains and enhance nutrition outcomes across India, Uganda, and Ethiopia. The initiative builds on a prior stakeholder consultation held in New Delhi earlier this year.
Driving Nutrition Through Whole Grains
Presenting the project overview, David Kamau highlighted the alliance’s vision to integrate fortified whole grains into school feeding programmes, with a target to reach 12 million children globally by 2029.
The initiative seeks to transition consumption patterns from refined staples like maize, wheat, and rice toward nutrient-rich whole grains, while also expanding the inclusion of climate-resilient crops such as millets, sorghum, and pulses.
In his inaugural address, Himanshu Pathak emphasized the importance of early dietary interventions. “Taste evolves from childhood. Introducing whole grains at the school level can create lifelong advocates for nutritious food,” he noted.
Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration for Impact
The workshop brought together a wide range of stakeholders, including representatives from FSSAI, UNICEF, HarvestPlus, Akshaya Patra Foundation, and other research, regulatory, and industry bodies to address challenges across the nutrition value chain.
Stanford Blade highlighted the initiative’s integrated approach, stating that it connects agriculture, nutrition, and health while creating local economic and entrepreneurial opportunities.
Victor Afari-Sefa further emphasized ICRISAT’s expertise in school feeding programmes, including menu design, testing, and impact validation.
Key Insights and Strategic Priorities
Stakeholder discussions identified several critical challenges:
- Gaps between calorie intake and actual nutrition outcomes
- Persistent micronutrient deficiencies alongside rising obesity
- Supply chain inefficiencies in millet processing and food safety standards
- Skill gaps and barriers to consumer acceptance
The workshop also explored strategic pathways for scaling impact, including centralized versus community-led models, delivery formats such as ready-to-eat foods or hot meals, and the role of biofortification versus chemical fortification.
Way Forward
The consultation laid the groundwork for a collaborative Evidence-to-Policy-to-Action framework, aimed at strengthening nutrition systems and scaling sustainable interventions.
Roopa Banerjee summarized the next steps, emphasizing a systems-driven approach for pilot implementation in Telangana. The session concluded with a vote of thanks by Dinesh Kumar Chauhan, who highlighted the need for greater investment in processing technologies, grassroots delivery, and nutrition awareness.
