Sorghum United CEO, Nate Blum discusses the recent launch of the Indo-US Millets initiative that is bringing together major players across India and the US, to unlock the potential of resilient, nutrition-packed crops called millets
In a world grappling with the ever-increasing challenges of climate change, food security has become a paramount concern. With extreme weather events, water scarcity, and rising temperatures to contend with, it is imperative that we find climate-resilient agricultural solutions for the future to support our growing population.
Many of the crops that we heavily rely on today, such as rice, wheat, and maize, are vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Studies predict that maize production will drop 15-20% in North and South America by 2050, which could have a devastating effect on the population. Rice is a staple for nearly half of our population, yet rising temperatures could result in a 40% decrease in rice yields by 2100. In Africa and South Asia, where food security is already a significant concern, wheat yield is predicted to lower 15-16% by the middle of the century.
But all is not lost. The Indo-US Millets Initiative, a collaborative effort between organisations in India and the United States, has been launched to help solve these pressing food production issues. Spearheaded by several organisations across both countries, including the North American Millets Alliance, India Millets Initiative, Sorghum United, and the Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute, the initiative aims to raise awareness about the benefits of millets and sorghum and increase and exchange research regarding their implementation into current food systems.
Despite being overshadowed for so long, millets and sorghum offer numerous nutritional and environmental benefits, and it’s time we take advantage of them. These grains have a significantly higher tolerance to drought and heat than maize, wheat, and rice, making them more reliable crops as global temperatures continue to elevate. Moreover, millets and sorghum require 30% less water than current staple crops, holding the potential to reduce water irrigation demand by 33%. In addition, they also provide numerous health benefits that wheat, rice and maize lack.
As the Indo-US Millets Initiative works to bring millets and sorghum back into the limelight, there are several challenges to overcome. In order to increase the production of these grains, there is a pressing need for additional research into developing high-yielding seed varieties and efficient processing strategies as well as technical support for farmers. Public access and awareness must also be increased in order to incentivise these important steps.
The United Nations declared 2023 the ‘International Year of Millets,’ demonstrating an increasing interest in exploring millets as a weapon against food insecurity. With the initiative and other millets programmes, such as the Alternative Crops Lab, based in Nebraska, the area is poised to take the lead as a hub for millets and sorghum research and development within the US. Recently, experiments have been greenlighted to study the contrast in greenhouse gas emissions from maize and millets, and new varieties of millets have been tested in Nebraska’s climate. There have also been efforts to begin studies of consumer demand and farmer profitability.
Given the uncertainties surrounding future food production and the challenges posed by climate change, the importance of investigating millets and sorghum as viable solutions cannot be overstated. As these grains gain renewed popularity, they illuminate a sustainable path toward improving global health and securing food stability.
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