[A group of hands holding grains Description automatically generated] S A V E T H E D A T E 7 November 2023 | 16:00-17:15 CET International Year of Millets Global Webinar Series 5th Webinar: “Empowering farmers, Indigenous Peoples, women and youths: unlocking the potentials of millets’’ REGISTER HERE<https://fao.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_NaoskxcwQPuFgZHnBF1zbQ#/registration> The United Nations General Assembly at its 75th Session in March 2021 declared 2023 the International Year of Millets (IYM 2023)<https://www.fao.org/millets-2023/en>. As part of the IYM2023 celebration, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is organizing a “IYM Global Webinar Series” to shed light on the various environmental, social and economic benefits of millets, their rich heritage and their vast potential. The global food system faces many complex challenges, including hunger, malnutrition, limited natural resources and a changing climate. A possible solution to tackle those interconnected challenges is to enhance sustainable crop production, resilient value chains and consumer access to affordable and varied diets. Millets, in their diversity, can contribute to this solution as affordable sources of nutrients for healthy diets that can be cultivated in various adverse climates and arid regions with minimal external inputs. Join this webinar<https://www.fao.org/millets-2023/events/detail/fifth-webinar-of-the-iym-global-webinar-series--empowering-farmers--indigenous-peoples--women-and-youths---unlocking-the-potentials-of-millets/en> to learn more about how the cultivation and consumption of millets can help empower smallholder farmers, women, Indigenous Peoples and youths by improving their livelihoods, entrepreneurial opportunities and nutritional status while enhancing the resilience of local production systems, especially through increased on-farm diversity. AGENDA<https://www.fao.org/millets-2023/events/detail/fifth-webinar-of-the-iym-global-webinar-series--empowering-farmers--indigenous-peoples--women-and-youths---unlocking-the-potentials-of-millets/en> Time Agenda item and presenter  16:00–16:05 Opening remarks and introduction by Ms Makiko Taguchi, Agricultural Officer, Plant Production and Protection Division (NSP), FAO 16:05-16:15 Keynote speech Mr Michael Fakhri, Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food 16:15-16:50 Panel discussion * Ms Jacqueline Hughes, Director General, International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics * Mr Sayed Azam-Ali, Chief Executive Officer, Crops For the Future * Ms Elizabeth Mpofu, Small-Scale Organic Farmer, African women’s collaborative for healthy food systems * Youth representative, Civil Society and Indigenous Peoples Mechanism to CFS * Mr Ramesh Sharma, National Convenor, Ekta Parishad 16:50 –17:10 Q&A session 17:10 –17:15 Closing remarks by Ms Tacko Ndiaye, Senior Officer, Inclusive Rural Transformation and Gender Equality Division (ESP), FAO The event will be moderated by Ms Tacko Ndiaye, Senior Officer, Inclusive Rural Transformation and Gender Equality Division (ESP), FAO. Stay tuned for the upcoming IYM 2023 webinar: 29 November 2023 – “Enhancing the collaboration on fonio for sustainable agriculture and improved local livelihoods” For more information, please contact: International-Year-Millets@fao.org<mailto:International-Year-Millets@fao.org>