Established staple foods such as rice and wheat may dominate global agricultural output, but a group of small-seeded crops known as millets are gaining significance due to their nutritional value and resilience to adverse climatic conditions. The 2023 International Year of Millets, initiated by India and approved by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (UNEP FAO), aims to emphasize their contribution to food security and nutrition on a global scale.
International Year of Millets 2023: Its Significance
In an effort to position itself as the ‘Global Hub for Millets’, India has shared the vision of making International Year of Millets 2023 a ‘People’s Movement’. This proposal was endorsed by the UNEP FAO in 2018 with support from over 70 nations, thereby establishing 2023 as the International Year of Millets. This initiative seeks to raise awareness about the role of millet in improving food security and nutrition, inspire stakeholders to enhance sustainable production and quality of millets, and prompt greater investment in research and extension services relating to millet cultivation.
About Millets and its Global Distribution
Millets represent a group of small-seeded annual grass types mostly cultivated in dry, marginal lands across varying climatic zones. The spectrum of millets grown in India includes Ragi, Jowar, Sama, Bajra, and Variga. Archeological evidence suggests that these grains were among the earliest plants to be domesticated for food, especially in the regions of the ancient Indus civilization. Consumed traditionally by approximately 600 million people in Asia and Africa, millets are cultivated in roughly 131 countries worldwide. Dominating the global production of millets, India contributes 20% to overall global production and 80% of Asia’s output. Other major producers include Nigeria and China which, along with India, account for over 55% of global millet production.
Nutritional Significance of Millets
Although millets are less expensive than wheat and rice, they offer superior nutritional benefits due to their high protein, fiber, vitamin, and mineral contents, including iron, calcium and magnesium. For instance, Ragi is noted for possessing the highest calcium content among all food grains. Given these nutritional properties, millets can provide nutritional security to populations, particularly women and children who are vulnerable to nutritional deficiencies. Since millets contain high iron content, they may contribute to reducing the high prevalence of anaemia among reproductive-age women and infants in India.
Millets relation with Lifestyle Problems and Climate Resilience
As gluten-free grains with a low glycemic index, millets can be instrumental in managing lifestyle disorders such as obesity and diabetes. Moreover, they display remarkable resilience to environmental changes, growing in poor soil with little or no external inputs, and retaining productivity under drought conditions and low rainfall regimes. These factors add to the environmental sustainability of millets, as they have lower carbon and water footprints than rice plants, which demand at least three times more water to grow.
Government Initiatives
To promote the widespread cultivation and consumption of millets, the Indian government has implemented measures such as the ‘Initiative for Nutritional Security through Intensive Millet Promotion’ (INSIMP). The initiative focuses on providing seed kits and inputs to farmers and supporting the marketability of millets through Farmer Producer Organisations. Additionally, the Minimum Support Price of millets has been increased, granting a significant price incentive for farmers. Furthermore, millets have been included in the Public Distribution System, ensuring a steady market for the produce.
Preliminary Queries Regarding Millets
The Initiative for Nutritional Security through Intensive Millets Promotion was reviewed in depth during the 2016 UPSC Civil Services Examination. Questions were raised about its aims, execution, and impact on farmers, especially those from poor, small, marginal, and tribal communities. The initiative aims to enhance millet production through improved cultivation and post-harvest technologies, with an emphasis on processing and value addition techniques. However, it does not include provisions to encourage farmers of commercial crops to shift to millet cultivation, as per the queries raised during the examination.
