What Makes Millet Special for Climate Change?

Millet must not be misunderstood as a new crop. Millet Crops is one of the oldest grains people have grown, with history going back more than 7,000 years. Today, this ancient grain is getting new attention because it can grow where other crops fail.

Drought resistance in Millets

The biggest reason farmers are turning to millet is its amazing drought resistance. In parts of Australia where rain is becoming less common, millet needs much less water than crops like rice, wheat or corn. Some types of millet can grow with just 30-40% of the water that other grains need [1].

Farmer John Murray from New South Wales says: “After three years of almost no rain, my wheat fields gave nothing. But the pearl millet section still made a crop. Now I plant twice as much millet every year.”

Millet Grows in Poor Soil

Many farms in both India and Australia have soil problems from years of intensive farming or natural conditions. Millet can grow in soil where other plants struggle to grow:

• Sandy soil
• Soil with little nutrition
• Slightly salty soil
• Soil with wrong pH levels

This means farmers can use land that might otherwise sit empty, improving food security while fighting soil erosion [2].

Millet Farming in India: A Climate Change Success Story that is getting Attention!

India has always grown millet, but for many years, government programs pushed farmers toward rice and wheat. Now that is changing. The Indian government started a program called “Millet Mission” to bring back these climate-friendly crops.

In states like Karnataka and Rajasthan where extreme heat and drought are big problems, farmers are returning to traditional millets:

• Ragi (finger millet)
• Jowar (sorghum)
• Bajra (pearl millet)

Farmer Lakshmi from Karnataka explains: “My grandmother always grew ragi. We switched to rice for many years. Now with less rain coming, we are growing ragi again. It needs almost no irrigation and still gives good harvest when temperatures reach to 45°C.”

India declared 2023 as International Year of Millets, and the push continues in 2025 with more sustainable farming practices centered around these grains [3].

Australia’s New Interest in Millet Cultivation

Australia is newer to millet farming, but interest is growing fast. The CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation) reports that millet test farms in drought-affected regions of Queensland and Western Australia show promising results.

Australian farmers are finding that millet offers several benefits:

1. Water conservation – Uses much less irrigation than traditional Australian crops
2. Carbon sequestration – Millet’s deep root systems put carbon back into soil
3. Crop rotation – Works well in rotation with other plants, improving overall farm health 4.. Heat tolerance – Can handle the extreme heat waves becoming more common across Australia

“We’re seeing up to 70% less water usage compared to wheat farming in similar conditions,” says Dr. Emma Wright from the Australian Dryland Farming Institute. “For a continent facing severe water scarcity, that’s game-changing.” [4]

How Millet Helps Fight Climate Change

Millet doesn’t just survive climate change – it actually helps fight it. Here’s how:

Less Carbon Footprint

Growing millet releases less greenhouse gases compared to rice. Rice paddies create methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. Switching some rice fields to millet in India has reduced these emissions significantly [5].

Carbon Storage in Soil

Millet plants have deep roots that reach far into the ground. These roots put carbon into the soil and keep it there. This process, called carbon sequestration, takes carbon dioxide from the air and locks it away, helping fight global warming.

Reduced Farm Inputs

Millet needs less:

• Chemical fertilizers
• Pesticides
• Fuel for farm machinery
• Irrigation water

All these reductions mean less pollution and lower carbon footprint for farms that grow millet [6].

Challenges for Wider Adoption

Even with all these benefits, farmers face challenges in growing more millet:

1. Market demand – Many consumers don’t know how to cook with millet yet
2. Processing technology – Less developed than for mainstream grains
3. Seed availability – Improved seed varieties can be hard to find
4. Knowledge gaps – Some farmers need training in best millet farming practices

Government programs in both India and Australia are working to solve these problems. The Australian Department of Agriculture has started funding research into better millet varieties for Australian conditions. India continues expanding its millet promotion programs [7].

The Future of Climate-Smart Farming with Millet

As climate change continues affecting agriculture, experts predict millet farming will grow dramatically. The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) estimates that millet cultivation could increase by 40% globally by 2030.

For drought-prone regions in Australia and India, this shift represents:

• More reliable harvests during unpredictable weather
• Better farmer incomes even in difficult growing years
• Improved nutrition for local communities
• More biodiversity on farms
• Greater resilience against future climate challenges

“The crops our grandparents grew might be the ones that save our farming future,” says Indian agricultural scientist Dr. Patel. “Millet isn’t just old-fashioned – it’s actually ahead of its time for the climate problems we face now.” [8]

More research is needed to take the benefits

As global warming brings more challenges to farmers in Australia and India, millet’s natural strengths make it an increasingly important crop. Its ability to thrive with less water while improving soil health offers real solutions for sustainable food production in a changing climate.

While no single crop can solve all climate change problems, millet represents an important tool for farmers facing drought and extreme weather. By combining traditional knowledge with modern research, millet farming offers a path toward more resilient agriculture in the places that need it most.

References:

[1] Dias-Martins, A.M., et al. (2024). “Potential of Millets as a Sustainable Crop for Drought-Prone Regions.” Journal of Arid Environments, 193: 104653. https://www.journals.elsevier.com/journal-of-arid-environments

[2] Singh, P., & Raghuvanshi, R.S. (2023). “Finger millet for food and nutritional security.” African Journal of Food Science, 6(4): 77-84. https://academicjournals.org/journal/AJFS

[3] Government of India, Ministry of Agriculture. (2023). “National Food Security Mission – Promotion of Nutri-cereals.” https://www.nfsm.gov.in/StatusPaper/Nutri_Cereal2023.pdf

[4] Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation. (2025). “Alternative Grains for Australian Climate Adaptation.” CSIRO Research Publications. https://www.csiro.au/en/research/crops/grains

[5] Environmental Defense Fund. (2024). “Climate-Smart Agriculture: Crop Selection for Methane Reduction.” https://www.edf.org/climate/climate-smart-agriculture

[6] Smith, P., & Gregory, P.J. (2023). “Climate change and sustainable food production.” Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 72(1): 21-28. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/proceedings-of-the-nutrition-society

[7] Australian Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment. (2025). “Drought Resilient Farming Program.” https://www.agriculture.gov.au/drought/future-drought-fund

[8] International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics. (2024). “Smart Food with Millets and Sorghum.” ICRISAT Research Program. https://www.icrisat.org/tag/millets/

[9] Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. (2023). “Special Report on Climate Change and Land.” https://www.ipcc.ch/srccl/

[10] Tadele, Z. (2024). “Raising crop productivity in Africa through intensification.” Agronomy, 6(1): 22. https://www.mdpi.com/journal/agronomy