Millet – a forgotten grain with major potential

There is a diverse group of small cereal grains that are not only low-maintenance and climate-resilient, tolerant to harsh growing conditions, but also rich in nutrients and suitable for people with gluten intolerance. We are talking about the millets.

In 2023, proclaimed as the International Year of Millets, these crops are celebrated across the globe for their multiple benefits. It’s a perfect opportunity for people of the Europe and Central Asia region, where the crop’s popularity isn’t so high, to learn more about the values of producing and consuming millets.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), together with the Embassy of India in Hungary, and the Hungarian Ministry of Agriculture held an international conference and an exhibition to promote this underrated crop. The Government of India as the top producer of millets globally is the most fervent advocate for the crop, and the driving force behind the yearlong celebration.

This was echoed by the Ambassador of India in Hungary, Partha Satpathy, who pointed to the important role of millets in ensuring food security while, at the same time, fighting the negative effects of climate change.

Climate-resilient crops

For a long time, millets have been part of sustainable agriculture, however, their current consumption is rather low. They account for less than three percent of the global trade in grains. Still, millets have a role to play in today’s sustainable agrifood production, emphasized FAO Regional Programme Leader Raimund Jehle. He added that millets also constitute a promising alternative for small-scale farmers, requiring minimal inputs and maintenance to grow.

The production of millets has been increasing globally, even though the area harvested is slowly declining. This reflects an improvement in productivity, noted FAO agricultural officer Makiko Taguchi in her presentation. This, she noted, is leaving a lot of unused potential for millets, especially in our region that already has a very low share of global millet production (3 percent).

Millets are often the only crop that can be harvested in arid areas during the dry season, and they can thrive in very poor soil conditions. Moreover, by providing land cover in arid areas, millets further reduce soil degradation and help support biodiversity and sustainable land restoration.

A nutritional powerhouse

Millets can become an important part of a healthy diet. However, as Taguchi pointed out, these small grains require proper handling to maintain their high quality and nutritional benefits.

As far as their nutritional value goes millets, as whole grains, compared to other refined grains contain a sizable amount of protein, dietary fibre, and micronutrients (including iron, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus), noted FAO food safety and nutrition specialist Klaudia Krizsan. This makes millets a good alternative to other grains, such as rice.

Millets go well with many kinds of dishes, be it a salad, a side-dish, or a dessert. To showcase this, FAO is encouraging people around the world to share videos of how they prepare and eat millets. Selected submissions to the global chefs’ challenge will be included in the International Year of Millets recipe book.

Unleashing millets’ potential

Experts agreed on the need to apply good practices all along the value chain to make proper use of the millets’ potential. These include region-specific production methods and selection of crops, proper post-harvest management, processing techniques, and also consumer education.

The benefits are obvious: these little grains can help improve the diversity of the global food system. It’s time to remember millets and make a collective effort throughout the world to showcase their rich potential.

30 May 2023, Budapest, Hungary