Additional 500 products to be added and mapped soon
Millets have sometimes been hailed as the next quinoa but researchers collating a global database of millet products have found this ancient grain to be orchestrating a silent food revolution that could see quinoa outstripped. The “Millet Finder” launched, discovered a surge in the use of millets, with over a thousand modern convenient products being marketed and sold across all the inhabited continents.
Launched at the FoodTec Expo by ICRISAT and the Indian Institute of Millets Research of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR-IIMR), the “Millet Finder” will help users find over 500 products across 30 countries. Another 500 products are identified and set to be included and mapped by end of the year by the Smart Food team at ICRISAT, who created the database and will continue growing it.
“Unless there is a consumer-driven demand and movement to diversify diets, farms cannot diversify and agriculture cannot be sustainable. By diversifying staples, we can have a major impact on diets, farms and the environment. ICRISAT strongly believes in creating awareness and helping consumers make informed choices while keeping their health and the environment in view. In that respect, millets check every box,” said Dr Jacqueline d’Arros Hughes, Director General, ICRISAT, and Chair, Smart Food Executive Council.
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