FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE by North American Millets Alliance – February 23, 2026 Millets—Prominent World Grains Millets are healthy substitutes for the main cereal grains used in foods and beverages. Millets also make excellent poultry and livestock feeds. This group of small-grain plant species offers crop diversity and water efficiency. The world has become too reliant on three grain crops—corn, wheat and rice. Together they account for 89% of the world grain production planted on 82.4% of all world grain acres. What if a disease devastates one or more of those key grain crops? Economic disruption or even worldwide famine could result. It would take a decade of crop breeding and seed production to produce a crop resistant to such a disease. Meanwhile, many could starve. Excluding corn, rice and wheat, a dozen genetically diverse millets already account for 21.6% of the eleven remaining grains categorized by the United Nations. These millets are potentially critical for global food security. Water is a precious resource. Water means life. Why waste it? Drought tolerant millets are excellent substitutes for water-hungry food and forage crops. Only 1.2% of U.S. proso grain is irrigated; meanwhile 100% of U.S. rice is irrigated. Easy to grow with low input costs, millets are short-season grains that can be rotated with corn, wheat, soybeans or any other grain. North American farmers have proven ability to produce a range of food and feed millets, including proso, pearl, foxtail, Japanese, brown top, and teff. Food processors can access a ready domestic supply of these, particularly proso, for use in a variety of products. Just three U.S. states, Colorado, Nebraska, and South Dakota produce and average of 741 million pounds of proso grain. That is twice the entire world’s quinoa production. Millets offer healthy eating options, and there are opportunities to develop markets for them and their products. On your next visit to your local grocery, health food outlet, or international food market, ask for millet products. North American Millets Alliance: https://millets2023.space/. This release in PDF format: https://millets2023.space/docs/Millets-Prominent-World-Grains-2026Feb23.pdf