Remembering Nammalvar: farewell, organic saint-warrior
G Nammalvar, the agriculture scientist who pioneered organic farming movement in Tamil Nadu, passed away on December 30 at the age of 75. He …
Beyond the hoopla: Millets must be promoted. But health and economic concerns need priority
Nutritional advantages of millets are offset by presence of phytic acid; cultivation yield also poor compared to wheat and rice
Culture has helped millets survive
Throughout ages, many rituals have been associated with millet cultivation and women are to be thanked for this
‘Labour burden on women millet producers must be reduced’
Shailaja Fennell, an expert in gender and household dynamics in agriculture, talks to Down To Earth about millet production in India
Boost indigenous millet recipes over packaged products
Preparing millets fresh should be made easy instead of promoting ultra-processed packaged foods; this may be the way to bring it into …
International year of millets: Centre to work on decentralised processing & marketing
Themes for a comprehensive plate-to-farm millet food system proposed the People’s Convention on Millets for Millions
Millets in PDS a game changer for combating malnutrition, climate change
Subsidised cereals distributed under PDS have increased the consumption of excessive starch instead of pulses, legumes, vegetables, nuts and milk,…
Odisha develops protocol for releasing indigenous millet seeds
Odisha is the first state to notify a committee to conserve and mainstream seeds conserved by tribal farmers
The International Year of Millets is an opportunity to improve indigenous kids’ nutrition
About 4.7 million tribal children in the country suffer from chronic nutrition deprivation
How Odisha is revalorising minor millets
Despite their glorious past, millets have been sidelined in farms and on food plates over the years
Kharif season 2023: Rajasthan plants two times more bajra as India’s paddy acreage drops by 26%
Impact of Cyclone Biparjoy and uneven distribution of monsoon clearly visible on kharif crops
This 45-year-old makes farming profitable for the entire Soliga tribe
Prakash roped in 30 Soliga farmers and 1,000 other marginal farmers and formed a collective to set up a millet processing unit in Karnataka's …
How investing in processing machines can help India promote millets
An African-Canadian company is helping promote Mali's fonio millet by investing in processing machines. India too needs to procure advanced …
Grounded in wisdom: The forgotten chakki should regain its place
Traditional mini flour mills may no longer be in vogue in our homes, but they help prepare nutritious food
Millets are returning to our fields and plates
In the past 60 years, India’s agriculture policy has focused mainly on rice and wheat and neglected millets. But these nutri cereals are …
Traditionally secure: The Baigas and their uncultivated foods
People belonging to the Baiga tribe mostly depend on forests and its plants for their livelihood. They possess the ability to recognise hundreds …
Biotechnology for food security: hope over hype
A range of biotechnological approaches, including both traditional ones like selective breeding and fermentation techniques, and modern ones such …
Faced with water crisis, Karnataka now wants to revive millet cultivation
Millets consume at least 70 per cent less water than other crops and require minimum inputs
Hybrid seeds are becoming increasingly popular in India. But that is not good news; here is why
Hybrid seeds could threaten the country’s crop diversity and the hardy traditional varieties suited to grow in their native climes
Climate change has transformed pearl millet cultivation zones in India
East Rajasthan, Haryana now India’s core pearl millet production area; farmers in Gujarat shifting from pearl millet to cotton, castor
Women SHGs in Odisha champion push for millets
The Odisha Millets Mission leads joint efforts to empower women entrepreneurs and promote millet consumption
Improved heat tolerance and drought resistance help pearl millet fight climate change
The reference genome and analysis of 1,000 lines of the pearl millet genome has provided the clue as to how this dryland cereal survives in …
Humble millets can ensure food security, nutrition to India’s vulnerable communities
Shifting from climate-resilient and micro-nutrient-rich traditional crops to cash crops has resulted in poor health indicators, says expert
Ancient DNA is revealing the genetic landscape of people who first settled East Asia
It has shown rapid shifts in ancestry over the last 10,000 years across Asia, likely due to migration and cultural exchange
Are millets safe from biopiracy?
2023 is the International Year of the Millets and during the year, efforts would be made to promote this superfood