International year of millets

What is the international year of millets all about, what is the objective? As proposed by India, United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has declared 2023 as International Year of Millets (IYM). Prime Minister Narendra Modi aims to make IYM 2023 a ‘People’s Movement’ and also to position India as the ‘Global Hub for Millets’. How has the Indian government taken a lead in spearheading this? What is the government’s plan of action? In April 2018, millets were rebranded as “Nutri Cereals” and the same year, the government declared it the National Year of Millets with the objective of generating more production and demand. On December 6, 2022, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) organised the opening ceremony for the IYM 2023 in Rome, which was addressed by Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar. A delegation of senior government officials from India also participated. The Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare last month hosted a special ‘Millet Luncheon’ for the Members of the Parliament, which was attended by Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankar and the Prime Minister. The Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs has planned 15 activities in January — engaging sportspersons, nutritionists and fitness experts through video messages, conducting webinars on millets with leading nutritionists, dieticians and elite athletes. The Ministry of Food Processing Industries will be organising Millet Fair-cum-exhibitions in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh. FSSAI will or...

Millets score over rice and wheat in terms of minerals, vitamins, and dietary fibre content, as well as amino acid profile. Polished/ white rice, for instance, contains only 2-4 mg/ kg iron and 15-16 mg/ kg zinc. Wheat has more of both — iron (37-39 mg/ kg) and zinc (40-42 mg/ kg) — but its protein quality is poorer than even that of rice. Up to 80% of wheat’s average 13% protein content comprises glutens, known to trigger gastrointestinal and autoimmune disorders in many people. PM Modi enjoyed a millet lunch (Source: Narendra Modi/Twitter) The same nutritionally superior traits — which significantly Nutritional advantages apart, millets are hardy and drought-resistant crops. This has to do with their short duration (70-100 days, against 115-150 days for rice and wheat), lower water requirement (350-500 mm versus 600-1,250 mm) and ability to grow even on poor soils and in hilly terrain. Where millets lag However, millets aren’t the first choice either of consumers or of farmers. For the poor, both in urban and rural areas, rice and wheat were once aspirational foods. But thanks to the Green Revolution and the National Food Security Act of 2013, two-thirds of India’s population receives up to 5 kg of wheat or rice per person per month at Rs 2 and Rs 3/kg respectively. The Modi government has, in fact, made the issue of the two fine cereals free of cost from January 2023, further tilting the scales against millets. Click here for more Even for the better-off, rolling rotis ...

The United Nations has declared 2023 “the International Year of Millets.” But this declaration alone won’t get nutritious and resilient millets onto smallholder farms directly. The UN says it will need help, and several of our grant applicants propose to do just that. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is now promoting a short but sleek The allure of millets “I grow where others cannot; I thrive in harsh and dry conditions, providing food when other harvests fail,” the imaginary-speaking millet tells us in the video. “Rooted in ancient cultures and traditions, I am a powerful source of innovation.” India in particular is “There are step changes in genetic gains, the crop improvement that could be made with additional funding” The UN General Assembly formally designated 2023 as the millet year back in 2021. Then last December, FAO hosted a launch event to kick off the campaign. At that gathering, officials sang the praises of millets, which constitute a wide variety of seed-bearing grasses. Millets have been feeding people and livestock alike for thousands of years. They can be transformed into porridge, delicious snacks like traditional Indian roti flatbread, and even alcoholic beverages. Though less well-known in the West, they’re considered critical staple crops for millions in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. “Millets are ancestral crops with high nutritional value,” said FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu at the Rome celebration, pointing to evidence of mille...

Millets are resilient cereals that can provide an affordable and nutritious option and help guarantee food security. They are also deeply rooted in Indigenous Peoples’ culture and traditions. The United Nations General Assembly at its 75th session in March 2021 declared Why are millets a smart food? Millets encompass a diverse group of cereals including pearl millet, proso millet, foxtail millet, barnyard, kodo, browntop, finger and Guinea millets, as well as fonio, sorghum (or great millet) and teff. Millets can grow in both low and high altitudes and across a wide latitudinal range, on arid lands, under non-irrigated conditions, in very low rainfall regimes, and have a low water footprint. Millets require less water than rice and wheat. They are very tolerant of heat (up to 64 degrees Celsius), drought and flood and it makes the crop an obvious choice for farmers in an era of climate change and depleting natural resources. Foxtail millet Millets are an ideal solution for countries to increase self-sufficiency and reduce reliance on imported cereal grains. They need minimal inputs, are resistant to diseases and pests and offer a reduced dependence on synthetic fertilisers and pesticides. They are also more resilient to changes in climate than any other cereals. On top of diversifying the food system, millets can help enhance livelihoods for small farmers, including women, nationally and regionally. Nutritional and health benefits of millet consumption Millets are among th...

The global food system faces many complex challenges, including hunger, malnutrition, an ever-growing global population, limited natural resources and a changing climate. A solution 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. The International Year of Millets 2023 is an opportunity to raise awareness of the multiple benefits of millets, from nutrition and health to environmental sustainability and economic development. The Year will strengthen science-policy interaction, facilitate partnerships, mobilize stakeholders to take action on promoting and producing millets, and encourage consumption of millets by the general public. Everyone has a role to play - from governments and private sector companies to the general public, including chefs, home cooks and youth. We need to work together to unleash the potential of millets for human and planetary health and well-being. Millets, including sorghum, account for less than 3% of the global grains trade. With the need to improve the resilience of global trade and its ability to respond to sudden changes in the foodgrain market, millets are a valuable option to increase output diversity and mitigate risks related to production shocks. Market structure...

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