Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke on the occasion of India’s 76^th Independence Day, as usual from the ramparts of the Red Fort in Delhi. This was his 9^th Independence Day speech, and while it was remarkable for the energy and verve he displayed, it also more importantly set the tone for the coming 25 years.

Compared to the previous years, where the first and second-order benefits were usually highlighted, this year was dedicated to outlining the vision for ‘Amrit Kaal’. A goal has been set for 2047 when India would be celebrating its 100^th Independence Day and finding a seat at the table of developed nations. India in the last eight years has caught the attention of the global community for the pace at which growth has been registered. The turning point in narratives is the way the Indian economy, for all its pitfalls, weathered the storm during the pandemic and the economic turmoil thereafter.

Though many points are worth discussing in detail, it was one 10-second mention of millets that gained my attention. India for all its reclamation of culture, heritage, and civilizational past, has its tradition of millets form a very important part of the narrative.

A brief history of Millets

Millets find very little to no mention when it comes to modern reportage on Indian cuisine. A probable cause of it has been the fact that millets do not capture the imagination of the people they cater to.

Millets, more popularly known as coarse grains, are a group of highly variable small-seeded grasses, widely grown around the world as cereal crops or grains for human food and as fodder. In India, millets have been mentioned in some of the oldest Yajurveda texts, identifying foxtail millet (priyangava), Barnyard millet (aanava) and black finger millet (shyaamaka), thus indicating that millet consumption was very common, pre-dating to the Indian Bronze Age (4,500BC).

As India sought to meet the western standards of development, millets were sacrificed for a more refined diet, which lacked nutritional values. Millets prior to the green revolution constituted 40% of all cultivated grains (in comparison to wheat and rice)^[1]. In the pre-Green Revolution era, in 1965-66, millets were cultivated on 36.90 million hectares

The blame cannot be solely laid on the policy of the government as India’s food security post-independence was mostly compromised. India had witnessed famines that devasted not just the population but affected entire generations. A struggling economy, coupled with a failing agriculture sector constituting small land-holding farmers, wreaking havoc on the development of the country. Sacrificing the traditional methods was the need of the hour. The introduction of high yield varieties, coupled with mechanization and chemicals to ensure food security, proved handy in uplifting the necessary base points in development. The consumption of millets was replaced with rice and wheat. However, the agricultural yield for millets dropped by 20%, as it didn’t find the markets to sell, unlike rice and wheat which had secured international markets.

Era of Millets

Since the Green revolution, the Indian agricultural sector has grown by leaps and bounds. It is a domino effect in all sense. Wheat and rice have become the staple diet of millions. The replacement of refined grains in households and the introduction of processed foods have replaced millets altogether. This further led to various levels of malnutrition.

According to a study published in the Journal of Nutrition in 2018, consuming bio-fortified pearl millet (bajra) stems the deleterious effects of iron deficiency and significantly improves learning and mental abilities related to perception, attention, and memory among Indian school-going adolescents. This is the second landmark study to demonstrate that iron bio-fortification results in functional cognitive improvements that could profoundly impact women^[2].

Government Push

The time has come for millets to be centre stage. Over the last few years, individuals, corporate brands, the Indian government, and even the United Nations have worked towards communicating the benefits of this class of grains. But even then, there is a gap – the benefits of millets aren’t clear to people. The mighty millet hasn’t yet found its way to every plate in India, unlike wheat and rice, even as the production of millets and coarse cereals have seen a rise in past 3 years^[3]

Under the National Food Security Mission (NFSM) to enhance the area, production and productivity of millets including bajra is being promoted in 89 districts of 9 states including 14 districts of Gujarat. North Eastern States, Himachal Pradesh and UTs of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh have been given the flexibility to include districts under the programme. The production of millets has increased from 14.52 million tonnes in 2015-16 to 17.96 million tonnes in 2020-21^[4].

A topic involving agricultural produce cannot go without mention of the Minimum Support Price (MSP) from the government. The prices have seen an increase in the past 8 years^[5], which has resulted in increased output.

To create domestic and global demand for millets, the Government of India had proposed to the United Nations for declaring the year 2023 as the International Year of Millets (IYoM). The Resolution of India was supported by 72 countries and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted the resolution and declared 2023 as the International Year of Millets in March 2021.

Why is it different this time?

Climate change has become a talking point in politics worldwide. The increased awareness has made this a talking point that could swing the electoral votes which could decide election results. The increased impact of climate change has also helped in speeding up the cause of making millets an acceptable food source or better in the quest for superfoods. They require one-third of the water when compared to rice and can withstand long periods of droughts. The number of pesticides or fertilizers used to ensure yield is minimal which is a win for the farmer, soil, and the planet. The mass acceptance of coarse grains might be a deterrent to the global monopoly GM seeds threaten to hold nations to in terms of food security.

On the Indian front, there is no better promoter of new ideas than PM Modi himself. He is able to capture not just the attention of the citizens but is able to attract attention to things he wants to promote. A good example would be the International Yoga Day or the way Ayurveda is becoming a globally accepted medicinal practice.  On the domestic front, PM Modi has been able to introduce measures through the concept of ‘Jan Bhaagidari’ which translates to people’s participation, the latest being the ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign, which witnessed an overwhelming response.

Good marketing is necessary for a product that delivers and sustained demand is the recipe for profit, and this time it’s millets! A superfood that can bring stability to both food security of nations and has the capacity to withstand harsh climate conditions. The only question that remains is whether India is ready for exponentially scaling up production.

 References                                                          

1. https://www.icrisat.org/a-short-history-of-millets-and-how-we-are-recognising-their-importance-in-the-modern-context/
2. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/spotlight/asian-paints-is-all-praises-for-their-new-brand-ambassador-pv-sindhus-immaculate-performance-at-cwg-2022/articleshow/93458530.cms
3. https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1810915
4. https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1796559
5. https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1832172

Image source: Mint