World Environment 2016, 6(2): 62-70 DOI: 10.5923/j.env.20160602.03 Finger Millet: Food Security Crop in the Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs) of Kenya Amos Ouma Onyango Department of Geography, Moi University, Kenya Abstract This paper aims at highlighting the positive attributes of finger millet. It reviews the works from peer-reviewed articles, agricultural research and development reports from national and international institutions. Primary data were obtained through preliminary survey conducted in the month of March, 2016 at the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Organization (KALRO), Kibos office, Kisumu County, Kenya. The study has revealed that the crop has the ability to grow under adverse agro-climatic conditions such as those found in the ASALs. The ASALs of Kenya cover about 80% of the total land area and is home to about 38% of Kenya’s population. Strong case has therefore emerged for stepping up the efforts towards the improvement of finger millet production to boost food security in the country. Through investment in agricultural research and development; and adoption of improved finger millet varieties especially in the ASALs, food production would increase significantly leading to reduced incidences of food poverty. Keywords Finger Millet, Food Security, ASALs, Kenya 1. Introduction Finger millet (Eleusine coracana (L.) Gaertn) is a staple food crop grown by subsistence farmers in the semi-arid tropics and sub-tropics of the world under rainfed conditions [38, 39]. The name is derived from the seedhead, which has the shape of human fingers. [37] report that, locally, the crop is called ragi (India), koddo (Nepal), dagussa tokuso, barankiya (Ethiopia), wimbi, mugimbi (Kenya); bulo (Uganda); kambale, lupoko, mawale, majolothi, amale, bule (Zambia); rapoko, zviyo, njera, rukweza, mazhovole, uphoko, poho (Zimbabwe); mwimbi, mbege (Tanzania) and kurakkan (Sri Lanka). The crop is largely consumed by marginalized inhabitants of semi-arid Asia and Africa and sold to provide subsistence farmers with additional income [8]. The crop ranks third in cereal production in semi-arid regions of the world after sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) and pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) [14]. It is highly valued by local farmers for its ability to grow in adverse agro-climatic conditions, where cereal crops such as maize (Zea mays), wheat (Triticum spp.) and rice (Oryza sativa) fail and has been noted to tolerate wide variety of soils. [4] has outlined the ecological requirements for the crop: it requires annual rainfall ranging from 500- 1000mm, which is well distributed throughout the growing season; adapted to a wide range of soil conditions * Corresponding author: oumamos@gmail.com (Amos Ouma Onyango) Published online at http://journal.sapub.org/env Copyright © 2016 Scientific & Academic Publishing. All Rights Reserved though it prefers fertile, well-drained sandy to loamy soils with P.H ranging from 5-7. Finger millet also grows on lateritic or black heavy vertisols and has some tolerance for alkaline and moderately saline soils. In terms of altitude, the crop is found between 1000-2000 metres above sea level in eastern and southern Africa and up to 2500-3000 metres above sea level in the Himalayas. Nutritionally, finger millet is primarily consumed as porridge in Africa but in south Asia as bread, soup, roti (flat bread) and to make beer. Interestingly, new food products made from finger millet are also becoming popular among younger people, including noodles, pasta, vermicelli, sweet products, snacks and different bakery products. In some nutritional components, finger millet is a superior crop compared to some major cereal crops especially polished rice [38]. The crop was domesticated in western Uganda and the Ethiopian highlands at least 5000 years ago before introduction to India approximately 3000 years ago [28, 39]. Today the crop is ranked fourth globally in importance among the millets after sorghum, pearl millet and foxtail millet (Setaria italica) [38, 39]. Finger millet is cultivated in more than twenty five countries, mainly in Africa (Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, Zambia, Malawi, Rwanda, Burundi, Mozambique, Eritrea, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Senegal, Niger, Nigeria and Madagascar) and Asia (India, Nepal, Malaysia, China, Japan, Iran, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka). Annual world production of finger millet is at least 4.5 million tons of grain, of which Africa produces perhaps 2 million tons [25]. India is a major producer of ragi in Asia [20, 40], with a production of 2.1 million tonnes and