Small Millet Foundation

In South Asia, lack of dietary diversity is one of the key factors behind malnutrition and the prevalence of non‐communicable diseases such as diabetes. Small millets, grown as a complement to existing crops, could contribute to an answer. Performing well in marginal environments they have superior nutritional properties, including high micronutrient and dietary fibre content, and low glycemic index. However, there has been a drastic decline in production and consumption of small millets mainly due to limited productivity, high drudgery involved in their processing, negative perceptions of small millets as a food for the poor and policy neglect when compared to other crops. Realising the importance of small millets for nutrition security and the contextual issues related to small millets, DHAN Foundation has started working on mainstreaming small millets in the regular diets in a focused manner since 2011.

From 2011-14 it has led a project by name “Revalorising Small Millets in Rainfed Regions of South Asia (RESMISA)” along with Canadian Mennonite University, Canada, LI-BIRD, Nepal and Arthacharya Foundation, Sri Lanka. This project aimed to improve cultivation and consumption of small millets in India, Nepal and Sri Lanka by addressing constraints both on the demand and supply side. It had comprehensive agenda covering conservation, cultivation, processing, value addition, promotion and policy advocacy. As a follow up of RESMISA project, DHAN Foundation implemented “Scaling up Small Millet Post-harvest and Nutritious Food Products Project” along with McGill University from 2016-2018.This project aimed to develop and apply ways for scaling up small millet processing and value addition technologies to reduce drudgery of women and improve the nutritional security in India. Both the projects were supported by International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and Global Affairs Canada (Then CIDA) as part of competitive calls under Canadian International Food Security Research Fund (CIFSRF).

As a result of engagement in these two projects, the project partners could bring out the following:

1. Appropriate technologies & practices

   • Location specific package of production interventions
   • Improved hulling and processing assemblies to meet varying operating requirements
   • Appealing nutritious small millet food products

2. Improvement in capacity of six equipment manufacturers, 273 nano, micro and small food enterprises, 14 NGOs & 85 women/farmers’ federations

3. Reach to >600000 persons in 54 districts of 10 states

4. Working models for scaling up

   • On-site incubation model for equipment manufacturers, and nano, micro and small food enterprises
   • Working model for promoting consumption

5. Partnership with research institutions (Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, McGill University &Indian Institute of Millet Research, ICAR), small millet value chain actors, 19 NGOs, Government departments in 10 Indian states and FACHIG Trust, Zimbabwe.

Details of the outputs can be viewed in the following links:

http://www.dhan.org/smallmillets/ & https://www.dhan.org/smallmillets2/ These initiatives have created necessary grounds and set direction for scaling up research-for-development interventions for mainstreaming small millets in regular diets. There is considerable need and scope for scaling up the learning in India, other South Asian countries and in Africa. In this background, DHAN Foundation has initiated Small Millet Foundation (SMF) for scaling up the learning from the project on small millet interventions within and outside India.

Mission

To catalyse scale up the production of small millets and promote its consumption among masses to improve nutrition and diet related health security in India and other parts of the world.

Objectives

1. Increasing household consumption among 1 million families, by 5 kgs/month/ family

2. Increasing production and productivity in a sustainable way in i) Tamil Nadu, ii) Eastern India, iii) Central India, iv) Karnataka and AP & v) Uttarakhand

3. Scaling up the small millet interventions to other South Asian and African countries

Programme Components

For achieving its objectives and in continuity of its earlier work, SMF engages on the following program components in collaboration with local, regional, national and international organisations:

1. Increasing production of small millet based cropping systems
2. Scaling up decentralised processing infrastructure for small millets
3. Local and regional small millet value chains development
4. Promoting household consumption as part of local and regional food cultures
5. Policy advocacy for mainstreaming small millet in the regular diets

SMF offers consultancy on Small millet production, Millet processing, setting up millet food enterprises and campaign for promoting consumption of small millets to the interested agencies/persons.

To know more about Small Millet Foundation and its earlier and current activities, visit https://www.dhan.org/smallmilletfoundation/