Millets National Media Portal
Millets National Media Portal
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) declared 2023 the 'International Year of Millets' (IYM 2023), recognizing millets as a cornerstone of global food security, nutritional security, and climate-resilient agriculture. As described in a 2023 International Journal of Plant and Soil Science review, millets hold multidimensional importance:
Food security: Millets grow in arid and semi-arid zones where major cereals cannot thrive, ensuring food supply for over 1 billion people in vulnerable regions.
Nutritional security: As nutri-cereals, millets address hidden hunger by providing iron, zinc, calcium, folate, and vitamins often absent from staple rice and wheat diets.
Economic stability: Millets require minimal inputs (water, fertilizer), reducing production costs and increasing income sustainability for smallholder farmers.
Climate Resilience: Millets have superior drought tolerance and lower carbon footprints compared to wheat and rice, making them climate-smart crops.
Biodiversity: Global millet production reached 31.4 million tonnes by 2023, with Africa and Asia together producing approximately 29.1 million tonnes.
Sustainable Development: Millets contribute to achieving multiple UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) and SDG 13 (Climate Action).
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