This is great, thanks Don On Sat, Apr 20, 2024 at 8:34 PM Don Osborn <don@milletsalliance.org> wrote:
Here's something I put together recently about two print/text resources on millets, each of which gives attention to specific millets in the group, and one video. The first is a survey article in an Indian journal, the second is a document by the Crop Trust, and the third is a video explainer about IYM..
1. The article:
Tripti Tripathi, Dr. Sweta Vyas. "From Ancient Grains to Modern Solutions: A History of Millets and their Significance in Agriculture and Food Security." International Journal of Home Science. 2023;9(2):72-78. * https://www.homesciencejournal.com/archives/?year=2023&vol=9&issue=2&part=B&... (article cover page) * https://www.homesciencejournal.com/archives/2023/vol9issue2/PartB/9-2-9-726.... (direct link to article PDF)
Abstract: "The research article provides an overview of the history of millets, highlighting their significance as a staple food crop in various regions of the world. Millets have been cultivated for thousands of years, with evidence of their use dating back to ancient civilizations such as those of China and India. Over time, millets have spread to other regions, including Africa, Europe, and the Americas, where they have been adapted to suit local growing conditions and culinary traditions. The article also discusses the various nutritional benefits of millets, including their high levels of protein, fiber, and antioxidants, which make them an important component of a healthy diet. Finally, the article explores the challenges facing millet cultivation and consumption in the modern era, including competition from other crops, changing dietary habits, and climate change, and offers suggestions for promoting the continued cultivation and consumption of this important crop."
This is a good overview for introductory purposes, but I'd be cautious about quoting from it. For example the mention of millets coming to Africa (see abstract above) seems to overlook the fact that several important millets come out of Africa (sorghum, pearl millet, finger millet & apparently kodo millet), and any introduced into Africa are not widely produced. Also, the mention of little millet (Panicum sumatrense) as being domesticated "as early as 2000 years ago." Some other sources online suggest 2700 years ago, and others suggest that it goes much further back, having been identified among the millets found in Harappan / Indus valley archeological sites.
2. The document
Bramel, P., Giovannini, P. and M. Eshan Dulloo. 2022. Global strategy for the conservation and use of genetic resources of selected millets. Global Crop Diversity Trust. Bonn, Germany. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7798294 * Supplementary material and data: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7798311 * Overview of methods and recommendations: https://www.croptrust.org/work/projects/global-crop-conservation-strategies/...
Longer title: "Global strategy for the conservation and use of genetic resources of selected millets: Covering pearl millet (Cenchrus americanus (L.) Morrone), finger millet (Eleusine coracana (L.) Gaertn.), foxtail millet (Setaria italica (L.) P. Beauv.), proso millet (Panicum miliaceum L.), barnyard millet (Echinochloa crus-galli (L.) P. Beauv. and Echinochloa colona (L.) Link),teff (Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter), fonio (Digitaria exilis Stapf. and Digitaria iburua Stapf.), little millet (Panicum sumatrense Roth. ex. Roem & Schult.) and kodo millet (Paspalum scrobiculatum (L.))."
This 88 page document includes an executive summary and detailed annexes.
The Crop Trust, or Global Crop Diversity Trust works on crop diversity and food security, and is particular concerned with ex situ conservation of seed. With regard to millets, their main focus is finger millet and pearl millet.- https://www.croptrust.org/pgrfa-hub/crops-countries-and-genebanks/crops/mill... .
The document discussed here naturally reflects these concerns, but it also has has an excellent short overview of each of the main cultivated millets, plus a list in appendices of related species that appear in the IUCN Red Book (altho surprisingly the latter does not include Panicum hirticaule, which is sometimes called Sonoran millet).
This is a resource to bookmark.
3. The video
The Indian paper The Hindu, has a video series called Business Matters. One particular video entitled "Why did UN declare 2023 as International Year of Millets?" offers a good review of the hoped for impact of the Year mainly from an Indian point of view - but with points having broader relevance. (11 Jan. 2023) https://youtu.be/BOPe8f4fm_w?si=bM6XJPl_eqfJHMLj
A couple of markers from the video * 6:39 Cites FAO figures that the US in recent years has controlled half of the global export market in millets. This market doubled in value from 2017 to 2022. * 7:19 Mentions the work of our friend, Tapas Chandra Roy (The Millet Advisor)
That's all for this installment
Don Osborn, PhD (East Lansing, MI, US) North American Millets Alliance
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