Understanding Millets and Marginalisation

● Online | 16 May 2024 | 5:30–7:00

Understanding Millets and Marginalisation addressed a host of exclusions,from new forms of agriculture that sideline indigenous knowledge, to diets that are far less diverse, and who can really access and afford certain grains now.
Our virtual discussions ‘Beyond the Plate’ explore how food is more than just the act of eating.

Omissions and marginalisations—oftentimes violent ones—have historically intersected with how we look at some foods over others. At The Locavore, we have been questioning how consumption patterns get demarcated along identities, ways of life, access to resources, and the place millets occupy in the margins of this story.

 

The sixth edition of Beyond the Plate, ‘Understanding Millets and Marginalisation,’ addressed a host of these exclusions—from new forms of agriculture that sideline indigenous knowledge, to diets that are far less diverse, and who can really access and afford these grains now.

Meet Our Panellists

Dimun Pertin, Founder, Gepo Ali

Dimum Pertin’s organisation, Gepo Aali, aims to revive indigenous crop varieties in Arunachal Pradesh through ancestral farming practices. You can read more about Gepo Aali and connect with them here.

 

“Our community has protected these practices, but without incentives, there is a risk of these traditions fading.”

Dimum Pertin focussed on reviving lost crops and linking food to language with the intent to restore cultural heritage for the Adi tribe in Arunachal Pradesh. She also discussed the revival of Anyat millet, or Job’s Tears millet, among the tribe. She highlighted the intricate cultural connections and labour-intensive practices involved in millet cultivation, underscoring the risk of losing traditional harvesting tools and techniques to mechanisation. By juxtaposing Anyat millet with popular grains like quinoa, Dimum hopes to cultivate consumer interest in the former, simultaneously acknowledging the slow pace of commercialisation.

The Big Fat Bao, Illustrator and Design Researcher

The Big Fat Bao’s work centres on caste, food, and ecology, exploring how caste-based narratives are woven into everyday cultural practices and food choices. You can read more of their work on Futuress.org, The News Minute, and BehanBox.

 

“Food is not only a source of nourishment; it’s also a tool of exclusion and violence.”

Highlighting the impact of caste on food culture, The Big Fat Bao explained how caste hierarchies shape the perception of food in India. They  illustrated how diets that include rice—and those that are vegetarian— are linked with the notion of ‘purity’ in most oppressor caste narratives, while millets are relegated to lower-caste diets, perceived as ‘coarse’ or ‘hard’. Bao pointed out that some millet brands today, with oppressor caste names and imagery, cater to elite consumers, which risks alienating the communities that have historically grown and consumed millets.

Dr. Bhrigupati Singh, Associate Professor of Anthropology and Sociology, Ashoka University

Dr. Singh’s research spans rural sociology and environmental challenges. You can read an excerpt of his work based on his ethnographic research in Shahabad, Rajasthan published by the Millet Revival Project here.

 

“Food choices have been deeply influenced by social stratification, which must be considered in promoting millets.”

Dr. Bhrigupati Singh brought insights on water scarcity and millet cultivation in Rajasthan. Reflecting on the colonial classification of millets as ‘inferior’ grains and its impact on dietary aspirations in India, he shared stories from his fieldwork, noting that for many oppressed caste individuals, eating ‘finer’ grains like wheat symbolised upward social mobility. Dr. Singh argued that millets, as water-efficient crops, offer environmental stability. This is especially crucial, given India’s water crisis, where agriculture depletes more than 85% of the groundwater.

Dr. Chubbamenla Jamir, Food Systems Scientist and Trainer

Dr. Jamir’s research can be viewed here. 

“Today, a resurgence in an interest in millets underscores their nutritional and environmental benefits. We must ensure they remain accessible to the communities that have traditionally cultivated them.”

With expertise in climate adaptation and food security, Dr. Chubbamenla Jamir guided the conversation to address the impact of marginalisation on dietary shifts, as well as the role of millets in sustainable agriculture. She set the stage by providing an overview of the trends in millet production and consumption, stating that while millets were once considered “common people’s food”.

Discussion

• The history of millet cultivation in India with a focus on how their consumption and cultivation have largely been an index of marginalised caste, class, and tribal identities.

• The challenges in promoting millets as a part of the modern diet in the face of nutritional and environmental requirements without compromising their accessibility for the communities that have been their custodians.

• Food as a channel for propagating caste in India where Brahmanical rituals have not only historically subordinated millets, but are currently appropriating them into Hindu traditions like ritualistic fasting.

• Social and caste-based hierarchies that associate the ‘coarse-ness’ of grains with their desirability, feeding into colonial-era classifications of millets as an ‘inferior’ grain.

• Lack of market linkages and mechanisation for millet harvesting/processing available to small-scale farmers. 

Learnings

• Recognising food’s socio-cultural dimensions and the need for inclusive millet advocacy is key to promoting millets. While millets have gained attention for their sustainability and health benefits, this shift risks sidelining marginalised communities that traditionally consume these grains. 

• There is a pressing need to ensure that millets remain accessible and that any commercial or policy changes involve these communities as active stakeholders. 

• Millets are a viable alternative to water-intensive grains like rice and wheat, especially in a country facing significant water scarcity.

• Food can be both a means of unity and a site of exclusion—we need to approach millet promotion with sensitivity to historical and social contexts.

This session was a collaboration between The Locavore and Rainmatter Foundation for the Millet Revival Project.

Beyond the Plate is an initiative by The Locavore where we engage in meaningful conversations, live events, and dining experiences that look at food beyond the sum of its parts. It is our attempt to narrow the divide between what’s on our plate, where it comes from, how it’s produced, and the deeper stories around it.