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Addressing Food Waste: A Critical Imperative for Sustainable Development
Context:
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Food Waste Index Report 2024 highlights that 1.05 billion tonnes of food was wasted globally in 2022. India is among the top contributors to food waste, discarding 78 million tonnes annually, despite over 20 crore Indians facing hunger.
Understanding Food Waste vs. Food Loss
- Food waste: Discarding edible and inedible parts of food across manufacturing, retail, restaurants, and households.
- Food loss: Occurs earlier in the supply chain due to poor storage, transport, and handling.
- India ranks second only to China in food waste, with an annual per capita household food waste of 55 kg.
- Household food waste in India is driven by over-purchasing, improper meal planning, lack of storage facilities, and cultural habits of excess food preparation.
- Around 19 per cent of food available to consumers is being wasted, at the retail, food service and household levels. This is in addition to the estimated 13 per cent of the world’s food that is lost in the supply chain from post-harvest up to and excluding retail (FAO 2022).
Impact
- Economic and Social Impact
- Trillion-dollar global food wastage annually, while 783 million people face hunger.
- Food waste leads to economic loss, affecting farmers, retailers, and consumers.
- In India, inefficiencies in the food supply chain coexist with persistent food insecurity.
- The social injustice of food waste is stark, preventing food from reaching those in need.
- Hinders progress towards Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) and SDG 12.3 (Reducing food waste).
- Environmental Consequences
- Food production is resource-intensive, requiring land, water, and energy.
- Wasted food contributes 10%-12% of total municipal waste in India.
- Leads to methane emissions from landfills, a potent greenhouse gas.
- Globally, food loss and waste generate 8%-10% of annual greenhouse gas emissions.
- If food waste were a country, it would be the third-largest emitter after China and the U.S.
- Climate change exacerbates food insecurity, with erratic monsoons, extreme heat, and droughts affecting food production and supply chains.
Measures to Address Food Waste
- Individual-Level Actions
- Smart meal planning and shopping: Creating lists and purchasing only necessary food.
- Efficient food storage: Using airtight containers and refrigeration.
- Creative use of leftovers: Repurposing food into new meals.
- Composting: Converting kitchen waste into fertiliser.
- Food donation: Providing surplus food to food banks and charities.
Global Best Practices and Lessons for India
- The UK achieved a 31% reduction in food waste through public-private partnerships.
- Many developed countries have established food recovery programs and stricter regulations on food waste.
- India’s ‘Save Food, Share Food’ programme showcases large-scale redistribution efforts.
- Systemic Reforms
- Cold storage and transportation: Investment in logistics infrastructure to reduce post-harvest losses.
- Sustainable business practices: Encouraging supermarkets and restaurants to redistribute unsold food.
- Public awareness campaigns: Promoting responsible consumption and waste reduction.
- Policy interventions:Subsidising food redistribution networks.
- Supporting farmers with storage facilities.
- Promoting food waste audits in businesses and households.
- Technological solutions:
- Mobile apps connecting surplus food to those in need.
- AI-driven supply chain management for reducing perishable food loss.
