Introduction

A long-term abutting weather situation that is particularly related to temperature and precipitation is called climatic change. Land-use changes, forest fires, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, and natural disasters like volcanic eruptions are all possible contributing factors to this Climate shift (Reddy, 2015). The average air temperature rises due to the Climate Change impact and the global warming phenomena, has become a mega trend that will drastically alter the course of human history (Rao et. al., 2019). Agriculture and Climate are closely related to global dynamics. The whole food production system is seriously threatened by the effects of Climate Change, which include rising average temperatures, more intense and frequent droughts and floods, abnormal rainfall patterns, and elevated CO2 concentrations (Bera, 2021). It affects food grains' supply and demand (Bommaraboyina et. al., 2020).

Over the last 50 years, there has been a significant rise in the world's food supply to fulfil the demands of a more wealthy and growing population while also averting major famine and starvation. 

Enhancing nutrition, adjusting to Climate Change, reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions, and lessening environmental effects are all necessary to improve the sustainability of food systems in light of the ever-increasing demands of humankind and the resulting strain on natural systems (Godfray et. al., 2010; Foley et. al., 2011; Welch & Graham, 2000).

Roughly 60 per cent of the world's food production comes from the 80 per cent of farmed area that are rainfed (Molden et al., 2011). Approximately 275 million hectares, or 20 per cent of the total, are irrigated and provide 40 per cent of the world's food production (Miyuki, 2021). Nearly 70 per cent of all freshwater withdrawals worldwide are attributed to irrigated agriculture, which is by far the largest consumer of water. Regarding agricultural water efficiency, there is a glaring difference between developed and developing countries among the G20. In the United States, France, Australia, and Brazil, agriculture uses around 44 per cent of all water withdrawals; in Brazil, Russia, India, and China, on the other hand, it uses 70 per cent on average; for instance in China, it uses 60 per cent and in India, 80 per cent (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development [OECD], 2019).

In India, South Africa, and China, there are more dry spells throughout the agricultural growing period due to a decrease in the number of rainy days during the season and an increase in rainfall intensities (Li et. al., 2021; Thoithi et. al., 2021). One essential component of the Climate system is the water cycle. The water cycle is impacted by a number of Climate Change consequences, including altered precipitation patterns and more frequent and intense floods and droughts (OECD, 2022). More than half of the world's population is anticipated to reside in water-stressed areas by 2050, and 1.6 billion individuals are anticipated to be at danger of flooding (Nature Based Solution for Water, 2018). Globally, there is currently less snow and ice cover due to extensive changes in the cryosphere, which is made up of glaciers, snow, permafrost, and lake and river ice. These changes have been brought on by Climate Change (Buytaert et. al., 2017; Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [IPCC], 2022).

Under such circumstances, the Sustainable Development Goals programme would steadily stall globally, severely impacting communities (Srinivasarao et. al., 2018). In addition, over 60 per cent of the net sown area in India is used for rainfed agriculture, and about 85 per cent of Indian farmers are marginal or small landholders. Because of this, India is more susceptible to significant effects from Climate Change on its farming system, cattle, fisheries, poultry, soil, pests, and diseases. In the upcoming years, Climate Change is expected to have a significant influence on Indian agriculture, significantly affecting several vital crops and causing food insecurity in the nation (Bommaraboyina et. al., 2020).

India's agriculture sector employs about two thirds of the labour force in gainful employment and is essential for the country's food, nutrition, and livelihood security. The rise of agriculture has a multiplier effect on the nation's economy as a whole because of its tight ties to other economic sectors (Gupta & Pathak, 2016). While the Green Revolution helped India become "self-sufficient" in the production of food grains (Abrol and Sangar, 2006), it also brought with it a number of environmental issues (such as decreased soil fertility, waterlogging, pollution of surface and ground waters, increased pests and diseases), and socioeconomic issues (like rising farm input costs and regional inequality) (Cummings, 2019).

Other significant obstacles facing Indian agriculture include a decline in per capita land, a stagnation in net sown area, a plateauing yield level, and deteriorating soil quality (Gupta & Pathak, 2016). In addition to all of these issues, the threat that Climate Change poses to Indian agriculture in general and food security in particular has given a new dimension to the issues already present (Rao et. al., 2016).  Furthermore, the agricultural sector is under pressure to expand food production due to the growing population (Gupta & Pathak, 2016). Given the current situation and trajectory, it is clear that meeting the nation's agricultural demand would be extremely challenging in the absence of effective measures. Effective adaptation and mitigation strategies are therefore needed (Bommaraboyina et. al., 2020).

In order to address global hunger (the need for cereals), Climate Change and increase farmer income, sustainable crop replacements are required. Because of their diversity, millets are the solution in this situation as they are inexpensive, nutrient-dense food that can be grown with minimal external assistance in dry and unfavourable areas (About. n.d.).

Millets: Nature’s Nutrient Packed Gem

The word "millet" refers to a group of small-seeded grasses that are grown for their grain. They might be red, yellow, grey, or white, and they are round in shape and small in size (This International Year Of Millets, Know Your Millets!, n.d.). One of the first crops that humans have ever grown, millets require little irrigation and may thrive in harsh weather. They were initially domesticated in Asia and Africa, and as civilization advanced, they subsequently spread throughout the world as a cereal crop (Millets At A Glance, n.d.).

Millets are referred to be “the nutri-cereals of today, and the coarse grains of yesterday”. Since millets can withstand most pests and illnesses and thrive in the difficult conditions of arid and semi-arid parts of Asia and Africa, they are referred to as “future crops”. The most popular and significant millets (Fig 1) for human consumption are sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.), proso millet (Panicum miliaceum), kodo millet (Paspalum scrobiculatum), finger millet (Eleusine carocana), teff (Eragrostis tef), little millet (Panicum sumatrense), foxtail millet (Setaria italica), pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) and fonio (Digitaris exilis) (Rao et. al., 2016). 

Since most millets are gluten-free and contain three to five times more vitamins, fibre, proteins, and minerals (calcium and iron) than other cereals (rice, Oryza sativa; wheat, Triticum aestivum; maize, Zea mays), they are referred to as “superfoods” (Ashoka et al., 2020).  

Fig 1: Types of Millets

The United Nations (UN) has proclaimed 2023 to be "the international year of millets" and has asked all interested parties to lend their support in order to raise awareness among policymakers of the health and nutritional advantages of consuming millet as well as its suitability for cultivation in harsh and changing Climate conditions. SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-Being), SDG 12 (Sustainable Consumption and Production), and SDG 13 (Climate Action) are the primary SDGs (Table 1) that millets may help accomplish. Growing millet has several benefits, including the ability to retain its seeds for years, which makes it useful in drought-prone areas, and the fact that it is a rain-fed crop that requires little fertilizer (Suri, 2022).

Table 1: Millets: A road to Wholesome and Climate Resilient World

Paddy is preferred by a vast majority of people in India and other nations due to its simplicity in cooking as well as to personal preferences. It should be remembered, nevertheless, that millets have a limited shelf life that is influenced by temperature, humidity, and small market size. Millets are versatile; they grow in half the time of wheat and use 70 per cent less water, as well as 40 per cent less energy for processing. In light of Climate Change, water scarcity, and drought circumstances, they offer an all-encompassing solution and a high nutritional value to ensure sustainable food security. Millets are a great source of antioxidants and can improve the probiotics' capacity to function, which may have health advantages. They contribute to the body's immune system and are a remedy for iron deficiency anemia and malnutrition in children. Research suggests that millets have a greater nutritional content than other cereal crops (Suri, 2022).

Considerable levels of vitamins and minerals may be found in millets, making them a highly nutritious grain. Because millets are high in resistant starch, slowly digesting starch, and dietary fiber, they give a steady release of glucose, which promotes satiety (Nithiyanantham et al., 2019; Annor et al., 2017). When it comes to protein and sulfur-containing amino acids (such cysteine and methionine), millets are superior to cereals in terms of their fatty acid composition (Nithiyanantham et al., 2019; Anitha et al., 2020). Especially in developing and underdeveloped countries, millet is a significant component of the contemporary diet and a possible source of key nutrients (Anbukkani et al., 2017).

Millets have a crucial role in establishing sustainable methods for ensuring nutritional security (Fig. 2).

Fig. 2 Millets: An approach for sustainable agriculture and healthy world 

Millets were referred to be "Shri Anna," or the best of all grains, in the Union Budget, February 2023 (Jain, 2023). 

Millets Role in Climate Resilience

Millets are xerophilic—they can reproduce in environments with little water supply and can flourish at quite high temperatures. According to an assessment, millet farming helps lessen the strain on environmental resources, particularly in areas where Climate Change is an issue. When it comes to water security, millets need nearly six times less water (20 cm) for growth than rice, which needs an average of 120–140 cm of rainfall. Certain millets take 45–70 days to mature, which is half the time that rice takes (120–140 days). Millets, a member of the C4 group of cereals, have a higher carbon dioxide to oxygen conversion rate, which helps in mitigating Climate Change. Millets are a Climate-resilient crop because they can withstand extreme heat, drought, and salinity (Suri, 2022).

Due to all of these characteristics, millet is a crop that is compliant with Climate Change. Less rain, higher heat, less water availability, and a rise in starvation are all predicted by Climate Change. The millet cropping system is one of the few that can endure these difficulties and go on to thrive. Because wheat is a crop that is very susceptible to heat, it is vital to remember that with the forecasted 2o Celsius rise in temperature, wheat may disappear from our midst. Similarly, to this, rice is a risky crop in Climate Change circumstances because of the manner it is produced in standing water. Methane, a Greenhouse Gas that poses a serious danger to our environment, is released from rice fields that have been saturated with water (Millet Future of Food and Farming, n.d.).

Of these, millets are renowned for their Climate-resilient qualities, such as their ability to adapt to a variety of ecological circumstances, their low irrigation needs, their superior growth and productivity under low nutrient input conditions, their reduced dependency on artificial fertilizers, and their minimal susceptibility to environmental stresses (Kole et al., 2015). 

It is acknowledged that millets have enormous potential for nutrition and food security in the face of rising agricultural expenses, global population growth, and changing Climate conditions. They are inherently resistant to the majority of biotic and abiotic challenges, are nutrient-dense, provide extra health advantages, and need substantially lower input expenses for growth. These characteristics highlight millets as the world's preferred crop in light of the rising worries about Climate Change (Bandyopadhyay et. al., 2017).

In the past, millets protected impoverished farmers from the vagaries of the Indian monsoon. In the future, millet might provide us insurance against Climate Change. Millions of people, particularly small and marginal farmers in rain-fed regions, benefit from millets, which are grown for food and fodder. They provide a reliable source of income and food, enabling them to conduct effective farming (Naresh et. al., 2023).

Millets frequently grow on shallow, skeletal soils that are no deeper than 15 cm. Rich soils are not necessary for their life and development. They are therefore beneficial for the large dryland area. The use of artificial fertilizers is not necessary for millet cultivation. For this reason, the majority of millet farmers employ farmyard manures and, more recently, biofertilizers made at home. Therefore, their need for pesticides is close to nil. As a result, they greatly benefit the agricultural environment (Millet Future of Food and Farming, n.d.).

The Current State of Millets

Globally, there were regional variations in millet farming. Millets were grown on 53 lakh hectares of land in the Americas, producing 193 lakh tons of grain. Africa has one of the largest agricultural areas in the world, with 489 lakh hectares under cultivation and 423 lakh tons produced annually. 

Asia was a major millet producer, covering an area of 162 lakh hectares and yielding 215 lakh tons of grain. A lesser area of 8 lakh hectares was used for millet cultivation throughout Europe, producing 20 lakh tons of grain. In the end, 6 lakh hectares of millet were cultivated in Australia and New Zealand combined, producing 12 lakh tons of grain. Based on the distinct contributions of different areas to the global millet production landscape as of 2020, these figures highlighted the unique scale and distribution of millet cultivation across continents (Fig. 3) (Maurya, n.d.).

Fig. 3: Global Scenario of Millets Cultivation and Production 

Forty percent of all grains were produced before the Green Revolution (Millets – The Nutritional Powerhouse, 2023). In 2020, the two millets grown in India, Pearl Millet (Bajra) and Sorghum (Jowar), were to account for around 19 per cent of global output. In 2020, the world's production of millets was made up of 40.51 per cent Pearl Millet from India and 8.09 per cent Sorghum. Rajasthan, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Uttarakhand are the main Indian states that produce millets. Together, these 10 states produced 98 per cent of all millets produced in India between 2020 and 21. Of the total millet produced, six states— Rajasthan, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Gujarat—account for almost 83 per cent. Twenty-seven percent of India's millet is produced in Rajasthan (Fig 4) (Indian Millets Production, n.d.). 

Fig. 4: State-wise production of millets in 2020-21 (Source: Indian Millets Production, n.d.)

Out of all the nutri-cereals, bajra has always produced at the greatest rates, ranking fourth in terms of output behind maize, wheat, and rice. Bajra has produced 50–60 per cent of all nutri-cereals produced between 2010 and 2011. Notably, although its production rates have been somewhat erratic, Bajra has showed a relative improvement in productivity over the past 10 years, in contrast to other nutri-cereals. On the other hand, Jowar saw a sharp decline in output, from 72.5 lakh tons in 2008–09 to less than half in 2018–19, followed by a short-lived rebound. Like Jowar, the output of ragi fell to its lowest level in fifteen years in 2018–19, but it rebounded the following year, averaging almost 18 lakh tons for the period under review (Fig. 5). Of the 304.8 lakh tonnes of millets produced worldwide in 2022, over 120 lakh tonnes were produced in India (Pavithra, 2023).

Fig. 5: Trends in Production of various Millets in India 

India has a special chance to promote millet production, support food and nutritional security, and guarantee farmers' sustainable livelihoods and incomes during the International Year of Millets, especially in areas that are vulnerable to drought or Climate Change. India has had progress in raising millet production. In 2021–2022, there was a remarkable 27 per cent rise in millet output over the previous year, indicating the country's commitment to growing and expanding millet cultivation. India's export growth trajectory has been exceptionally impressive. Between 2021 and 2022, millet goods exports came to a total of USD 34.32 million, a substantial increase over the USD 26.97 million recorded the previous year (Millets – The Nutritional Powerhouse, 2023).

Twenty percent of the world's millet output and eighty percent of Asia's came from India alone, according to the economic assessment 2023. 

The average millet yield in India is 1239 kg/ha, while the average worldwide yield is 1229 kg/ha. In the globe, India is the country that produces Shri Anna the most and exports it the second most (Budget 2023: India to become the global hub for millets, 2023). 

Case study – Adapting to Climate Change: Millet Farming in Karnataka’s Dry Areas

Farmers in Karnataka's dry areas have experienced a notable change in agricultural techniques as a result of Climate Change. A farmer from Hondure village in the Sira administrative block named Korale Raghu discovered that he needed to switch from growing crops that required a lot of water, such as rice, sugarcane, and maize, to growing a variety of millets that are resistant to drought. Hondure village, located not far from Bengaluru and 70 kilometers from Tumakuru, is seeing a change in farming practices.

Rooted in decades of monsoon-dependent rice and maize farming, Raghu deliberately switched to millet growing, as did many others in this drought-prone area. The farmers chose to switch from irrigation-intensive crops to millet, a durable substitute better adapted to the unpredictable weather patterns in the area, after three years of extreme drought.

The main crop grown in the 2,000-person settlement of Hondure is Korale, or brown top millet. Farmers like Raghu took up millet growing because of workshops held on farm premises and millet-themed festivals hosted by Sahaja Samruddha, an NGO working in agricultural communities throughout five dry districts of Karnataka. Presently, Raghu tends to grow about 10 acres of brown top millet alongside his traditional rice and wheat cultivation.

“We used to be dependent on irrigated crops like sugarcane and paddy, which left us vulnerable to unpredictable weather patterns. Making the switch to millet became essential,” said Raghu, who planted eight and a half acres of millet in 2011 and increased his harvest in the following years. An yearly harvest of 70 to 80 quintals is the result of his work; he sells seeds to other farmers and distributes the crop through a network of housewives.

Raghu has made a significant contribution to the revival of brown top millets and the encouragement of their cultivation among farmers in Karnataka. Previously limited to pockets in neighboring Andhra Pradesh, the resurgence of this millet has earned Raghu the affectionate title of 'Korale,' the local name for the brown top millet.

This transition shows how resilient and adaptive the local farmers in the area are to Climate Change, marking a significant change in agricultural techniques (International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics [ICRISAT], n.d.).

Conclusion

In conclusion, integrating millet into agricultural practices emerges as a sustainable solution that is pivotal in combating climate change. Their role in promoting sustainable diets aligns with the conservation of biodiversity and ecosystems while minimizing environmental impact, thereby fortifying food and nutrition security. Through the diversification of crop production, specifically by incorporating coarse cereals like millets, a dual benefit is achieved: bolstering the food supply and curbing Green House Gas (GHG) emissions. This strategic approach not only reinforces food security but also enhances Climate resilience without compromising the nutritive value offered by these resilient crops.

Millets stand as a resilient and environmentally conscious solution, serving as a significant stride in mitigating the impacts of Climate Change on agricultural systems. Their cultivation not only broadens the spectrum of available food but also contributes to a more sustainable agricultural landscape, effectively addressing the urgent need for Climate-resilient crops. By championing the adoption of millets, we pave the way for a more resilient and adaptable agricultural framework, marking a crucial step towards sustainability in the face of a changing Climate.

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