So, through increased millet production and consumption, India has deepened its work for a global push to counter the challenges to ensuring food security that are susceptible to Covid-19, conflicts, and climate change.
The disruption of wheat supply, first during Covid and at present due to the Ukraine war, has underlined the importance of creating domestic and global demand for millets as it could resolve the twin problems of supply uncertainties and climate change.
The government’s push, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to increase awareness around millet resulted in a significant achievement last year when the UN General Assembly declared 2023 the International Year of Millets. India has already notified millets as nutritional cereals because of their nutritional value: millets are a rich source of protein, fibre, minerals, iron, and calcium, and have a low glycaemic index.
The centre is making efforts to promote nutrition cereals through R&D support and has established three Centers of Excellence (CoE).India’s focus on food security through increased production of millets was echoed by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar during a luncheon recently, where he stressed that millets are important for food security as well as international relations.