Promoting Food Sovereignty through Indigenous Crops: An Analysis of Odisha Millet Mission

This paper analyzes Odisha's Millet Mission as a case study of food sovereignty through indigenous crop revitalization. The state-led initiative, launched in 2017, has successfully increased millet cultivation across participating districts. Key findings reveal that the program operationalizes food sovereignty principles through community-managed agriculture, agroecological practices, and cultural food preservation, despite operating within market-oriented frameworks. However, critical analysis exposes power imbalances, limited tribal agency, and structural barriers that constrain transformative potential. The study contributes to understanding how subnational governments can advance food sovereignty while navigating political-economic constraints, offering actionable insights for policy replication across similar contexts.