Climate Change and Food Production: Small Millets Cultivation Ensures Global Food Supply and Nutritional Security

Climate change poses critical challenges to universal food security, thus necessitating sustainable agricultural practices and the diversification of food crops. Given this, the present review suggests the intensification of small millet cultivation, specifically on marginal lands with limited resources, which can address nutritional and food insecurities. Owing to the superior nutritional qualities, socioeconomic advantages, and environmental benefits, integrating small millets into global food systems can essentially assist in achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to zero hunger, climate action, and biodiversity conservation. Key challenges, such as limited availability of genetic resources, low market incentives, and insufficient policy support, are highlighted, along with strategies for their mainstreaming through global collaborative efforts, advanced technologies, and market-efficient policy interventions. By emphasizing the unique agronomic traits of small millets, the present review underlines their potential as a sustainable alternative to current cereal crops, which provides a comprehensive solution to global environmental and food supply challenges, thus ensuring nutritional security in the face of climate change.