Millets grown in a wide variety of soils and climates, used to be the principle staple for people across India. For farmers in rainfed areas, millet cultivation addresses several key issues simultaneously – crop diversification, water conservation, and climate resilience. Millets are also integral to the local traditions and rituals of the communities in rainfed geographies.

Though demeaned as “the poor man’s food” and relegated, until recently, to an inferior status, millets survived discriminatory, centralized policies (that of the Green Revolution and food security). Thanks to the indigenous communities who kept millet cultivation and consumption alive, decades of determined efforts by Civil Society Organisations and of popular consumer discourses millets are regaining their space.

Thanks to India’s efforts, the United Nation has declared 2023 as the “International Year of Millets”. While we celebrate millets gaining international attention, we also need to make millet-based diets affordable and accessible to people at large rather than urban and export markets alone!.

Bringing millets back “on farms and on plates”, at nation-wide scale, can improve resilience to climate change, reduce water shortages and address nutritional challenges. Millets can regain their status in production and consumption with favorable public policies and investments. Introducing unpolished millets locally in ICDS, Mid-day meals, and PDS replacing a proportion of rice/ wheat can stimulate demand, production and investments in millet value chains.

Almost every district in the country can produce, process and consume millets. A proportional shift to millets can stimulate local economies and cut down long-food supply chains.