The year 2023 has been declared by the United Nations as the International Year of the Millet, following a proposal by India, which wants to position itself as a global hub for millets.
It’s interesting how millets can help the world face the challenges confronting it.
Here’s what the Food and Agricultural Organization of the UN has to say about millets. As the global agrifood systems face challenges to feed an ever-growing global population, resilient cereals like millets provide an affordable and nutritious option, and efforts need to be scaled-up to promote their cultivation. “Millets can play an important role and contribute to our collective efforts to empower smallholder farmers, achieve sustainable development, eliminate hunger, adapt to climate change, promote biodiversity, and transform agrifood systems,” says FAO Director-General QU Dongyu.
How are millets healthier for you?
Millets are cereal, like rice or wheat, but used to be referred to as coarse cereals, an obvious reference to the external texture which is not smooth. All cereals are a rich source of carbohydrate but millets also come with more protein, dietary fibre, iron and calcium content than rice or wheat.
In a 2018 notification, the government says millets are a powerhouse of nutrients and that research had shown millets as good defence in the fight against diabetes. Millets have a low glycemic index, which means such foods have lesser impact on blood glucose levels than foods that are higher up in the index. To help consumers understand the benefits better, the government has changed the nomenclature from coarse grains to Nutricereals.
Why are millets said to be climate-friendly?
An article at ORFonline tells us that millets use 70% less water than rice; grow in half the time of wheat; and need 40% less energy in processing. They are hardy crops that can withstand extreme heat conditions.
Why did millets lose preference over the past few decades? What is the export market like?
Script and presentation: K. Bharat Kumar
Production: Shibu Narayan
Videography: Johan Sathyadas
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