Context-

In the wake of escalating global temperatures predicted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), urgent measures are required to address the impending challenges to water availability, agriculture, and food security. Here we look into the significance of millets as an efficient solution to navigate the intricate trade-off between food security and water availability in the context of India's unique challenges.

The Current Scenario:

The IPCC's projection of global temperatures surpassing 1.5 degrees of warming in the next two decades necessitates proactive policies to mitigate the impacts of global warming. In India, a country with a mere 4 percent of the world's water resources accommodating 18 percent of the global population, prolonged groundwater exploitation has led to depletion, emphasizing the need for immediate adaptation policies. The dominance of highly water-intensive cereal crops, such as rice, wheat, and sugarcane, exacerbates the trade-off between food security and water availability.

The Shift Away from Millets in India:

The Green Revolution in India, which aimed to boost rice and wheat production, led to the marginalization of millet. Rice, a water-reliant crop, is a major contributor to global methane emissions and consumes substantial water resources.

Despite these environmental concerns, rice and wheat comprise 90 percent of India's crop production. The need to reintroduce millets, such as Sorghum (jowar), Pearl Millet (bajra), and Finger Millet (ragi), gains prominence as these crops require significantly less water for cultivation and offer enhanced nutritional content compared to rice.

Millet Comeback as a preferred choice

●      Policy Interventions in India: Several initiatives have been launched in India to promote millet cultivation and consumption. The Initiative for Nutritional Security through Intensive Millets Production and the National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture have been pivotal in encouraging millet farming through financial incentives. While the National Food Security Act (NFSA) directed the distribution of coarse grains, specific provisions for millets were lacking initially. However, the recognition of millets as 'Nutri Cereals' under the National Food Security Mission and the declaration of 2018 as the National Year of the Millets mark crucial steps towards reintegrating millets into India's agricultural landscape.

●      Recent Developments and International Recognition:

In 2021, India increased the procurement and distribution period for jowar and ragi, recognizing the need for a broader shift in consumer preferences. The United Nations declared 2023 as the International Year of the Millets, acknowledging India's proposal to endorse millets as the cereal of the future. The Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for food products, initiated by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, further incentivizes millet production.

●      Nutritional Superiority and Consumer Awareness: Millets offer numerous health benefits, being gluten-free and rich in iron, calcium, and zinc. Their low Glycaemic Index suggests potential benefits in preventing diabetes, controlling body weight, and managing hypertension. Consumer awareness is crucial to regenerate demand for millet, emphasizing its nutritional superiority over traditional staples like rice.

●      Strengthening the Indian Value Chain: India, as the largest producer and second-largest exporter of millet, has witnessed increased productivity and technological advancements in millet cultivation. Research efforts have led to the development of improved cultivars, biofortified varieties, and innovations in forage sorghum, contributing to higher yields and resilience to biotic and abiotic stresses. However, to fully exploit the potential of small millets, standardizing seed production technologies and expanding procurement to include various millet varieties are imperative.

Challenges and Imperatives:

• Millet cultivation has seen a significant decline from 35 million hectares to 15 million hectares due to various factors. Reasons include low yields, labor-intensive processing, limited marketing, and a small share converted into value-added products.
• In 2019-20, the total cereal intake through the Public Distribution System (PDS), Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS), and school meals was 54 million tonnes. If 20% of rice and wheat were replaced by millets, the state would need to procure 10.8 million tonnes of millet.
• Low productivity is evident in declining sorghum and stagnant pearl millet and other millet production.
• Lack of awareness about millet's health benefits contributes to low demand. High prices compared to traditional cereals, limited availability in retail markets, perceived bland taste and agricultural challenges further hinder millet consumption.
•  Competition from rice and wheat, staple foods widely available in India, makes it challenging for millets to gain market share. Insufficient government support has also hindered the promotion and growth of millet cultivation and consumption.
•  Scaling up the millet industry requires strategic policy interventions. Research to develop high-yield varieties of small millets is crucial, addressing productivity concerns that impact farmers' profitability.
• Market interventions, including Minimum Support Price (MSP) and subsidies, should incentivize millet production.
• The International Year of the Millets serves as an opportunity to shape global preferences by raising awareness of both the nutritional and sustainability benefits of millets.
• Emphasizing the climate resilience attributes of millet can further persuade international governments to increase global production and consumption, especially in the face of a warming world.

Conclusion:

Millets emerge as a holistic solution for India's dual challenges of water scarcity and food security, offering climate resilience, enhanced nutritional content, and sustainable agricultural practices. The journey from the marginalization of millets to their recognition as essential 'Nutri Cereals' signifies a positive shift in policy focus. To ensure the success of millet-centric agriculture, a concerted effort is needed, encompassing research, policy interventions, and international collaboration. By promoting millets as a global cereal of the future, India can contribute significantly to mitigating the impact of climate change on agriculture and fostering global food security.

Source- The Indian Express