Project management: Prof. Dr. James Narendra Bondla (Frobenius-Institute)
Duration: November 2023 – December 2025
Funding: Gerda Henkel Foundation
This research project examines millet cultivation among the Tigray people in northern Ethiopia and the Koya people in southern India from a comparative cultural-ecological perspective. As vital subsistence crops, millet plants have been cultivated for centuries within diverse cultural, socioeconomic, and ecological contexts. The study examines similarities and differences in cultivation practices, focusing on land use, resource management, social organization, division of labor, gender roles, and food security. The project also addresses worldviews, rituals, and traditions associated with millet cultivation. Ethnographic field research methods are applied using a qualitative approach. The project complements the existing Millets Research Network at the Frobenius Institute.
