Consumer survey about millets

15,500 face to face interviews in

cities across 7 states
Smartin India
Food brief 5 Smart Food
brief #6
NOTE: Millets are broadly defined to include sorghum

This is the largest consumer survey ever undertaken about consumer insights on
millets and forms a benchmark for consumer changes and marketing efforts.

RESULTS
The survey showed that health and wellness were the most common factors influencing
consumption of millets in urban areas, with 58% of the interviewees attributing this to
consumption.
Largest reasons for consuming millets
1. ‘I have a health problem’ (nearly 30% or people stating this)
2. ‘I want to lose weight’ (15.1%)
3. ‘I like the taste’ (about 14.6%)

Identified knowledge gap by a target audience

- 91 % of respondents were very or reasonably health conscious
- However, only 40% were sure millets were healthy

 The data indicates that the early adopters of millets are consumers with a health problem
and so searching for solutions.
 Second are the people who are health conscious and interested in healthy lifestyles, where
the identified knowledge gap about millets being healthy indicates market potential.
 However, to make a big impact it will be important to reach the mass markets.

The major reason the respondents did not eat (more) millets
1. ‘It is not eaten at home’, expressed by nearly 40% of the respondents
 This indicates the potential to have a multiplier affect of reaching many people if promotions
can reach and influence the decision maker in the household.
2. ‘Don’t like the taste’ expressed by nearly 22%
 Interestingly taste was observed to be a major reason why the respondents both did and did
not eat millets, indicating that health awareness alone would not significantly boost millet
consumption. Together, these insights showed the need for tasty products and simple
recipes made from millets as well as changing the image of millets.
3. ‘Price is high’ (13%)
4. ‘It takes a long time to cook’ (8%)

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 RESULTS continued
The main sources of information about health and food are from social sources with about 85% of
interviewed listing this.
1. Social media mentioned by 51%
2. Friends and family mentioned by 34%
 This shows an important outlet for governments and industry to use for promotions to reach
consumers.

The most commonly eaten forms of millets

1. ready to eat products (46%)
2. porridge consumed by (38%)
 This represents an interest in modern convenient products as well as the easy to prepare
traditional foods. This reflects market opportunities for convenience products while also
being culturally sensitive.

Frequency of consumption of millets

- a considerable proportion of consumers ate millets frequently (49.6% consumed 1 or more
times per week)
- However, there was also a reasonable proportion of people who had never or almost never
consumed millets (34.9% consumed millets never or up to two times a year).
- Bengaluru led in terms of consumption frequency. Delhi had the lowest consumption
frequency of millets.

 The findings imply a need to more actively promote the benefits of millets and to create
awareness of various ways of cooking millets or creating millet products to satisfy taste
preferences and change the perception of millets, which would in turn lead to an increase in
their consumption.

Sources of information about health and food

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Respondents’ reasons for consuming millets and sorghum in each city

Stated reasons for respondents not consuming more millets/sorghum

3
 Common forms in which millets are eaten in different cities in India

Frequency of consumption of millets and sorghum in the seven cities

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ABOUT THE STUDY
A face-to-face survey was conducted about consumers’ knowledge, perceptions, and consumption
patterns, as well as the reasons for their practices and sources of information, on millets.
This was conducted in August 2017 and forms an important baseline for tracking consumer
perceptions and effectiveness of marketing activities.
The methodology included:
▪ random convenience sampling in shopping malls
▪ 15,522 people interviewed
▪ In 7 cities in 7 states of South, West, North, and East India: Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai,
Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai
▪ 9,453 were women and 5,686 were men, with a wide age range
▪ All data was also presented by city, age, gender and socioeconomic status
▪ qualitative and quantitative questions were asked without prompts or options to select; except
the first question where a picture of three popular millets, finger millet, pearl millet, and
sorghum, were used as a visual aid showing the crop and the grain with their names in English,
Hindi, and the state language.

THE PUBLICAITON
Kane-Potaka J., Anitha S., Tsusaka T. W., Botha R., Budumuru M., Upadhyay S, Kumar P., Mallesh K.,
Hunasgi R., Jalagam A. K. 2021, Assessing millets and sorghum consumption behavior in
urban India: a large-scale survey, Frontiers in sustainable food systems

Author affiliations:
Joanna Kane-Potaka , Seetha Anitha, Muralidhar Budumuru, Parkavi Kumar, Ashok Kumar Jalagam
and Swamikannu Nedumaran: Smart Food Initiative, International Crops Research Institute for
the Semi-Arid Tropics, Hyderabad, India
Takuji W. Tsusaka: Organization for Q7 Advanced and Integrated Research, Kobe University, Kobe,
Japan
Rosemary Botha: Development Strategy and Governance Division, International Food Policy
Research Institute, Lilongwe, Malawi
Shweta Upadhyay: United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund, Lilongwe, Malawi

This study is part of a Frontiers journal special research topic - Smart Food for Healthy, Sustainable
and Resilient Food Systems.

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 OVERALL CONCLUSIONS FUTURE RESEARCH
 it is recognized that the market for millets  As this survey was undertaken in
can expand with appropriate awareness urban shopping centers, future
campaigns targeting different segments. studies should obtain similar
consumer data at the rural and
 The findings of this study may be useful for peri-urban locations to compare
policymakers as well as different various consumer segments and
stakeholders, e.g., food companies, to develop better understanding
government entities, nutritionists, of millet utilization.
development organizations, and
researchers, who intend to promote  Repeated studies should be
consumption of millets. conducted to track these
changes over time and the
 The survey helps understand the influences on changed behavior.
motivation of consumers and how best to
position millets in any campaigns while
planning agriculture-based nutrition
interventions to improve the market,
consumption, and nutritional status.

“IIMR has been widely promoting the

“This data provides good insights and is a
health benefits of millets and
baseline that will be useful across India
developing nutritious products. This
and the world when we prepare for
survey further emphasizes consumer
exciting initiatives in the run-up to the
interest and the need to keep reaching
International Year of Millets in 2023,”
out to spread the good news about
millets and exciting new ways to eat
Dr Suresh K Malhotra
them,”
Commissioner of Agriculture,
Dr Vilas A Tonapi,
Government of India
Director, ICAR-Indian Institute of
Millets Research

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“Government policies can “It is imperative for millet
play a critical role to ensure more promoting initiatives to reach the
diversified and healthier diets, like masses as these crops offer a multitude
millets, are available and affordable of benefits. They help farmers build
for all sections of society. climate-resilience, are sustainable on the
Understanding the consumers and environment and offer a range of
their desires and perceptions is critical nutritional benefits, including addressing
in designing these policies,” micronutrient deficiencies and helping
manage lifestyle disorders like diabetes
Prof. Prabhu Pingali
Chair, ICRISAT Governing Board. and others,”
Dr Jacqueline Hughes
Director General, ICRISAT

“As this survey was

undertaken in urban shopping centers,
“The data indicates that the
future studies should obtain similar
early adopters of millets are consumers
consumer data in rural and peri-urban
with a health problem and so they search
areas to compare various consumer
for solutions. Second are the people who
segments and to develop better
are health conscious and interested in
understanding of millet utilization.
healthy lifestyles. However, to make a big
Moreover, repeated studies should be
impact it will be important to reach the
conducted to track these changes over
masses across markets,”
time and their influences on changing
consumer behavior,” Dr S Anitha
Dr S Nedumaran Senior Scientist-Nutrition, ICRISAT
Senior Scientist-Economist, ICRISAT, and a co-author of the study
and a co-author of the study

“Interestingly, taste was observed to be another major reason why

respondents both did and did not eat millets, indicating that health awareness alone
will not be enough to influence the masses to consume millets. The report emphasized
these insights to show the need for tasty products and simple recipes made from
millets as well as the need for changing the image of millets,”
Ms. Joanna Kane-Potaka
The study’s first author and Assistant Director General (External Relations) and Executive
Director of the Smart Food initiative at ICRISAT.

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 ABOUT MILLETS
‘Millet’ is a common term to categorize small-seeded grasses that are often called dryland
cereals. There are 12 grasses most commonly referred to as millets. Sorghum is also
considered a millet in some countries.

Millets are termed a smart food because they fit the criteria of being good for you, planet and farmer.
Millets are highly nutritious and fulfil some of the biggest health needs, e.g.:
• Finger millet has 3 times the amount of calcium in milk;
• Very high iron and zinc and taking bioavailability into account can provide close to
the recommended daily allowance of iron
• Low glycemic (GI) index and shown to reduce blood glucose levels, reduce the risk
of type 2 diabetes and reduce of developing type 2 diabetes and were useful in
managing type 2 diabetes
• Reduces the overall level of cholesterol
• Have good levels of protein
• High fiber; Gluten free and more.
Millets have a low carbon footprint, survive in high temperatures and with very little
water. They are often the last crop standing in times of drought, are climate-smart and a
good risk management strategy for farmers. They have multiple uses, from food, feed and
fodder, to brewing and biofuels.
Pearl millet
Proso millet
Little millet

Foxtail millet
Finger millet
Browntop millet
Barnyard millet

Teff
Job’s tears
Fonio
Kodo millet
Guinea millet
Sorghum

Smart Food executive council:

www.icrisat.org www.smartfood.org