Revitalising millets for rural transformation in Nepal (Policy Brief)
cvr eng
Year

December 2023

Description

Nepalese agriculture is facing a number of challenges, including a shrinking cropped area, principally due to land use changes, low competitiveness, and increasing impacts of climate change, leading to a volatile food security situation. Likewise, changing dietary patterns – characterised by less diverse foods and more consumption of energy-dense ultraprocessed and packaged foods – has been the leading cause of malnutrition, especially among children and adolescents. Promoting a millet-based food system has the potential to improve food security and nutrition in the country. However, there has been a declining trend in the production and consumption of millets owing to a number of reasons.

KEY RECOMMENDATIONS

  • Implement a nationwide awareness and sensitisation campaign.
  • Implement a minimum support price for millets and include them in the public procurement and distribution system
  • Integrate millet-based dishes on the menu in official public gatherings and government programmes
  • Support and incentivise theproduction, processing, and product diversification of millets, including the legalisation and branding of millet-based alcoholic beverages
  • Strengthen research and technology transfer related to millet production and value addition