Millets & Sustainability

In an era of climate change, water scarcity, and growing populations, millets represent one of agriculture's most promising solutions. These ancient grains are inherently climate-smart crops -- they require minimal water, tolerate extreme heat, grow in poor soils, and have a significantly lower carbon footprint compared to major cereals like rice and wheat. The United Nations declared 2023 as the International Year of Millets precisely because these grains sit at the intersection of food security, nutrition, and environmental sustainability.

Water Efficiency

Millets are among the most water-efficient cereal crops on the planet. While paddy rice requires flood irrigation and enormous water volumes, millets thrive on rainfall alone in semi-arid regions, making them ideal for water-scarce environments.

Millets

300-500liters/kg

Wheat

~1,500liters/kg

Rice (paddy)

3,000-5,000liters/kg

Source: FAO, Water footprint of crop production; ICRISAT Smart Food initiative.

Climate Resilience

Millets are extraordinarily resilient crops that can withstand conditions that would devastate rice or wheat. This makes them increasingly important as climate change intensifies droughts, heatwaves, and weather unpredictability.

Drought Tolerance

Millets can survive and produce grain with as little as 300-400mm of annual rainfall, compared to rice which requires 1,200mm+. Pearl millet is cultivated in some of India's driest regions with less than 350mm of rain.

Heat Tolerance

Pearl millet can tolerate temperatures up to 42 degrees C and still produce viable grain. Most millets are C4 photosynthesis plants, giving them inherent advantages in hot, high-light environments.

Short Growing Season

Most millets mature in 60-90 days, compared to 120-150 days for rice. This short duration reduces exposure to weather risks, allows multiple cropping cycles, and provides farmers with faster returns.

Source: ICRISAT research on climate-smart agriculture; FAO Sorghum and Millets in Human Nutrition (1995).

Carbon Footprint

Millets have a significantly lower carbon footprint compared to rice and wheat due to several factors:

  • No paddy methane emissions: Unlike rice paddies, which produce approximately 1.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions through anaerobic methane release, millets are grown in dry or rainfed conditions that produce negligible methane.
  • Minimal fertilizer input: Millets grow well in nutrient-poor soils with little to no chemical fertilizer, reducing both production costs and nitrous oxide emissions from synthetic nitrogen.
  • No irrigation energy: Since millets are predominantly rainfed, they avoid the energy consumption associated with pumping groundwater or running canal irrigation systems.

Source: ICRISAT Smart Food; studies on GHG emissions from rice paddies (IPCC).

Soil Health

Millets contribute positively to soil health, unlike many intensive cereal crops that deplete soil nutrients over time.

  • Millet roots add organic matter to the soil, improving soil structure, water retention capacity, and microbial activity.
  • Millets are excellent rotation crops. Alternating millets with legumes or other cereals breaks pest and disease cycles, reduces the need for chemical pesticides, and restores soil fertility.
  • Many millets can grow in marginal, degraded, or acidic soils where other crops fail, effectively bringing unproductive land into cultivation without deforestation.

Source: FAO Sorghum and Millets in Human Nutrition; ICRISAT soil health research.

Biodiversity

The diversity within the millet family is itself a powerful tool for agricultural resilience and biodiversity conservation.

With 9+ commonly cultivated varieties -- pearl millet, finger millet, foxtail millet, sorghum, little millet, kodo millet, barnyard millet, proso millet, and browntop millet -- millets preserve agricultural biodiversity in stark contrast to the monoculture dominance of just 2-3 rice and wheat varieties that cover most of India's farmland. Each millet variety is adapted to different agro-climatic zones, ensuring crops can be grown across diverse geographies. This diversity acts as a natural insurance policy against crop failures from pests, diseases, or climate shocks.

Source: FAO International Year of Millets 2023; ICRISAT genebank collections.

Supporting Small Farmers

Millets are uniquely suited to smallholder farming in developing nations:

  • They grow in marginal conditions -- poor soils, low rainfall, high temperatures -- where rice and wheat cannot be cultivated economically.
  • Low input requirements (minimal fertilizer, pesticides, and irrigation) make millets affordable for resource-poor farmers who cannot invest in expensive inputs.
  • Millets support dryland farming communities across Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and the tribal regions of central India -- areas home to some of India's most vulnerable populations.
  • Growing demand for millets as health foods creates new market opportunities and better prices for small farmers who have traditionally grown these crops.

Source: ICRISAT Smart Food initiative; FAO.

UN Sustainable Development Goals

Millets directly contribute to multiple United Nations Sustainable Development Goals:

SDG 2: Zero Hunger

Millets provide affordable, nutrient-dense food that can be grown locally in food-insecure regions. Their high iron, calcium, and protein content directly addresses hidden hunger (micronutrient deficiencies). Their short growing season means faster food availability after planting.

SDG 13: Climate Action

As climate-resilient crops with low water needs, heat tolerance, and minimal carbon footprint, millets are natural climate adaptation and mitigation tools. Promoting millets reduces agriculture's contribution to greenhouse gas emissions while building food system resilience against climate shocks.

SDG 15: Life on Land

Millets improve soil health, support biodiversity through diverse varieties, and can be grown on degraded lands without requiring deforestation or ecosystem destruction. Their low-input nature reduces chemical pollution of soils and waterways.

Source: UN FAO International Year of Millets 2023; UN SDG framework.

Sources & References

  1. FAO Food and Nutrition Series No. 27 (1995). Sorghum and millets in human nutrition. https://www.fao.org/3/t0818e/t0818e00.htm
  2. Saleh ASM, Zhang Q, Chen J, Shen Q (2013). Millet grains: nutritional quality, processing, and potential health benefits. Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety.
  3. United Nations General Assembly (2021). International Year of Millets 2023. https://www.fao.org/millets-2023
  4. ICRISAT (2017). Smart Food: Millets for Food, Nutrition and Livelihood Security.

Disclaimer: This content is created with the assistance of AI and is intended for educational purposes only. While we strive for accuracy, information may contain errors or be incomplete. Always do your own research and consult qualified professionals (nutritionists, doctors, agricultural experts) before making decisions based on this content. This website does not provide medical, nutritional, or agricultural advice.