ICRISAT, FWGA launch school nutrition project focused on whole grains
The three-year project will support school feeding programs in India, Uganda, and Ethiopia while new ICRISAT research shows sorghum can maintain yields with less nitrogen fertilizer.
AFRICA/INDIA – The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) and the Fortified Whole Grain Alliance (FWGA) have launched a three-year project that aims to improve whole grain processing and increase the use of nutritious grains in school meals.
ICRISAT hosted the project inception and stakeholder workshop at its headquarters in Hyderabad on April 28, 2026. The Novo Nordisk Foundation supports the project, which will run from 2026 to 2028 across India, Uganda, and Ethiopia.
David Kamau, representing FWGA leadership, said the project plans to reach 12 million children in low and middle income countries by 2029 through school feeding programs that include fortified whole grains and blends.
“The Fortified Whole Grain Alliance strategy is to introduce Fortified Whole Grains and blends as part of school meals to help address the double burden of Malnutrition,” Kamau said.
“Now, we are looking at opportunity crops including millets, sorghum, and pulses for inclusion in school feeding programs. We are happy to partner with ICRISAT, which brings a great deal of experience in working with Millets, Sorghum and pulses.”
ICRISAT Director General Dr. Himanshu Pathak said schools can help shape healthier eating habits from an early age.
“Taste evolves. It is cultivated from childhood,” he said.
“The palatability for the whole grains must be nurtured from school age. This project is unique and important because it seeks to introduce millets and legumes at the school level. A child can become an advocate for these nutritious grains.”
The workshop brought together research groups, regulators, food companies, development agencies, and government departments. Participants discussed nutrition gaps, millet processing limits, food safety standards, and low consumer acceptance of whole grain foods.
Dr. Stanford Blade, Deputy Director General for Research and Innovation at ICRISAT, said the project links agriculture, nutrition, and health while also supporting local business opportunities.
Alongside the workshop, ICRISAT also shared findings from a new sorghum study published in the Food and Energy Security Journal. The research found that sorghum can maintain grain yields even when farmers apply only 50% of the recommended nitrogen fertilizer.
ICRISAT scientists studied 186 sorghum accessions under different nitrogen levels across two growing seasons. The team identified 1,369 genomic regions linked to nitrogen use efficiency and found 10 key genes connected to nitrogen absorption and use.
“By improving how plants use nitrogen, we can transform both productivity and sustainability at scale,” said Dr. Himanshu Pathak.
Researchers said the findings could help breeders develop crop varieties that reduce fertilizer costs, cut environmental losses, and support stable yields for farmers.
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