Thanks so much, Dr. Santra, 

Yes, that is a very important correction to make! I would hate for her to repeat that without knowing that it is not correct. 

Thanks for catching that. We should provide some clarification around the use of the term pseudo-cereal too. I think that there is a sentiment in the pop culture right now discussing lectins and the general public seems to think that all grains contain them and if they don't, it must be due to being pseudo-cereals which is an unfortunate misconception. 

Who do we reach out to for clarification on this?

Regards,

Joni

On Sat, May 6, 2023 at 12:49 PM Dipak Santra via Collab <collab@lists.millets2023.space> wrote:

Don,

Thanks for sharing. Excellent info. However, there is a seriously wrong statement “millets can fix nitrogen’ in the podcast. Somebody (Sujata Balaji, I guess) stated that millets can fix nitrogen like legume since it is C4 crop at ~10:30 mins. This is wrong. Millets like rice, wheat, corn does not have ability to fix Nitrogen. Needs correction. Otherwise, public will think wow…. Millets are like legue…

 

Thanks

Dipak

 

 

Dipak Santra, Ph.D.  Associate Professor (Alternative Crops Breeding Specialist)  President, International Broomcorn Millet Association  Department of Agronomy and Horticulture  University of Nebraska–Lincoln  Panhandle Research & Extension Center  4502 Ave I, Scottsbluff, NE 69361  (308) 632-1244 (work) / (308) 765-2324 (cell)

 

 

From: Collab <collab-bounces@lists.millets2023.space> On Behalf Of Don Osborn
Sent: Saturday, May 6, 2023 11:39 AM
To: collab@lists.millets2023.space
Subject: [Collab] Five articles on millets, one with podcast

 

Non-NU Email

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A few more or less recent items on millets with online links. These include 5 articles, one of which accompanies a podcast (see #2 on the list):

(1) "Mighty Millets Have Potential for Positive Change," by Christina LiPuma, Viewpoints (essays), Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future, 5 April 2023
https://clf.jhsph.edu/viewpoints/mighty-millets-have-potential-positive-change
"This year, the United Nations (UN) is on a mission to unleash the power of millets, a group of small-grain cereals with enormous potential to bring about positive changes to our health, our economies, and our planet. Tiny but mighty, millets have gone mostly overlooked in the last 50 years living in the shadows of other commercial crops such as wheat, rice, and corn. The UN declared 2023 “The Year of the Millets” to bring attention back to this group of grains. Given their ability to mitigate climate change, promote economic growth, and fight hunger, it is rightfully time for millets to shine."

Comments: A solid overview of millets, hitting a lot of the selling points for these grains as sustainable crops and nutritious foods, with attention also to their value in animal farming. If you need a single recent article to introduce millets to someone wondering what's the deal with the International Year, it would be hard to do better than this. (Thanks to Jonathon Landeck for the pointer.)

 

One minor point not particular to this article: We really need to enlist more adjectives to describe the flavors of millets, as "nutty" is becoming cliché. And that, in turn, requires more people trying more millets....

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(2) "Are nutrient-dense, climate-friendly millets the next quinoa?" Soup-To-Nuts Podcast of FoodNavigator-USA, by 17-Apr-2023 By Elizabeth Crawford, 17 April 2023
https://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Article/2023/04/17/soup-to-nuts-podcast-are-nutrient-dense-climate-friendly-millets-the-next-quinoa
"Millets may be relatively little known in the Global North currently, but the small, nutrient dense and drought-resistant grains (well, technically seeds), could be poised to become the next quinoa with the power to turbo-charge sales of CPGs featuring them, thanks to the Food and Agriculture Organization and UN declaring 2023 the International Year of Millets."

Comments: Nice interview of Sujala Balaji of RainFed Foods, with some input by Shrene White of Ardent Mills, which covers general points about millets, some specifics relating to India, and what RainFed Foods is working on. A couple of quick comments: I've not seen millets referred to elsewhere as "pseudo-cereals" (2:43) - this term is sometimes used for the dicot grains, amaranth, buckwheat, and quinoa. Millets, like major cereal grains, are in the grass family (Poaceae), but in different branches of it. Also, I'm not sure where the information about millets fixing nitrogen (10:48) came from - this is a characteristic of legumes not grasses. Millets have other advantages as C4 crops (efficient use of CO2) and in general, being able to produce with less nutrients and water.

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(3) "Six reasons to bring millets to the market!" FAO," by Jeanette Van Acker, 25 January 2023
https://www.fao.org/fao-stories/article/en/c/1628815/
"Rich in heritage and full of potential, millets are a sustainable, nutritious and under-valued food source

Comments: This is part of FAO's web presence on the International Year of Millets. A very succinct numbered presentation on why millets are important, and always useful in a repertoire of articles to share.

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(4) "Why 2023 is the year of millets," BBC World's Table, by Charukesi Ramadurai, 9 February 2023
https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20230208-why-2023-is-the-year-of-millets
"Once a forgotten staple of traditional Indian cuisine, nutritionally dense millets are becoming popular the world over. So much so that 2023 is being dubbed 'the year of millets'."

Comments: A good background, with focus on India (which I consider a "crossroads" of many millets from Asia and Africa. One update - India has apparently moved beyond "nutricereals" as a moniker for millets to "sri anna" or "shree anna" (noble or best grains). There is, or was, no generic term in Indian languages for millets, which have been treated as individual grains.

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(5) "Indian Firm UPL To Establish Millets Model Farm In Guyana," Outlook Planet, 5 May 2023
https://planet.outlookindia.com/news/the-indian-company-upl-and-the-republic-of-guyana-and-the-indian-company-upl-collaborate-to-establish-the-news-415203
"The Republic of Guyana will supply a suitable 200 acre plot of land in Guyana, while the UPL will contribute technical know-how and agricultural inputs"

Comments: Interesting item I came across. Raises the same questions one would have anywhere about allocation of land to foreign-based multinational corporations, but the millets angle makes it worth keeping an eye on. (Guyana of course is in northern South America. A large proportion of the population has Indian heritage, from immigration during the British colonial period.)

 

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If you come across interesting news or features about millets, especially in North America, but not limited to this region, please feel free to post directly to the list.

DO, EL, MI, US
NAMA

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