According to recent facts findings by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), each year approximately 1.3 billion tons of food is wasted globally, which is about one-third of all food produced for human consumption. In 2024, households alone wasted the equivalent of over 1 billion meals a day in 2022, according to the UN Environment Programme’s (UNEP) Food Waste Index Report. Despite having plenty, over 783 million people went through hunger that same year and nearly a third of the global population faced food insecurity. The three big nations, China, India and the USA, where two are developed and one is developing. They account for the top three per capita food wastage in the world.

Introduction

Food security ensures every person has the financial means to obtain enough, safe and nutritious food based on their dietary requirements while being a complex issue. According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), food security exists when people at all times have physical, social, and economic access to food that is both nutritious and sufficient for a healthy life. On the other hand, Food Insecurity is when there is no or limited access to food which eventually leads to hunger, malnutrition and poor health outcomes. According to the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2023 around 74% of the population of India could not afford a healthy diet, and 39% fell short of a nutrient-adequate one

Wastage is one of the most significant yet overlooked contributors to hunger and, eventually, malnutrition. Inefficient food production, processing, distribution and consumption patterns result in food being wasted despite being produced in quantity to the world. The impact is beyond one’s imagination and can be classified broadly in society. Economic, and environmental degradations. Let us throw some light on this grave issue and understand this in a detailed manner from global practice, with a particular focus on India, a country that exemplifies the paradox of high food production coupled with significant hunger levels.

Food wastage in India

India stands in second position when it comes to global food wastage, next only to China. The Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that 74 million tons of food is wasted annually, which is approximately 40% of the total food produced. With India being ranked 111th in the global hunger index out of 125 nations, this figure states an alarming need for the issue screaming to be addressed only to be heard by none.

Stages in Food Wastage

Amazingly, there are still no tautologies about food waste in a country that has various practises and an aware society, mainly one that is working with different media. This kind of attention is necessary on such grounds because it helps to understand how it happens (in terms of stages) since the solution needs to begin from the bottom.

Maximum wastage takes place at the household level, which is 60% of the total wastage and the culprits are we, who more often than not, brush the issue under our carpet or in our backyards. But the price that the environment and society have paid for our bad food habits (where we tend to waste more than having) no longer remains under remains.

But this isn’t only where the wastage occurs, from production to processing to consumption. All the stages contribute heavily to this. Poor harvesting techniques, inadequate storage facilities, and lack of access to the market. Outdated technology and poor farming practices exacerbate post-harvest losses. When we move towards the processing state, the inefficiencies due to substandard quality control, outdated techniques, lack of investment in modern technology, and inadequate training for workers can be seen as factors leading to the wastage of food. At the customer’s end, the main reasons for food loss are overspending, overcooking, and the dishes’ poor dishes. Furthermore, local culture and public image (like high-standard weddings and big shows) are important players in this tangled act.

The lack of proper food storage facilities and substandard transportation infrastructure during the transportation of food from farms to markets results in food spoilage and wastage. The consumption of eatable items solely on their aesthetic appeal on a market stand causes a waste of about 30% of our total food production. The fatty menu of restaurants where customers tend to order more than required, leads to the issue of too many leftovers. This is one of the significant reasons why food is significantly wasted.

 Wastage of Food Affects us in many ways.

The issue of food waste’s economic effects in India is deeply rooted in the very core of the economy. The cost of food waste in India is assumed to be about ₹92,000 crores per year. This kind of waste and loss touches several stakeholders such as farmers, consumers, and companies. Farmers suffer from financial instability because of the waste of produce, consumers are burdened by the increase in food costs, and businesses are faced with falling profits and a worsening environment. The phenomenon is one of the major contributors to greenhouse gases, due to the decomposition of food, when methane is released, which is a potent threat to the environment. Wastage of resources utilized in food production, including energy, water, and agricultural land are other impacts that need accountability and is an underlying threat that isn’t known to most of us.  

Moreover, food wastage is a contributing factor to food insecurity in a country where the current situation is that a significant proportion of the population suffers from hunger and malnutrition. Despite the high production of food products, the mishandling and the ineffective distribution of the product in the market have led to a surplus of food, which results in a lower quantity of food being sold to people, necessitated by the inability to eat properly.

 Stakeholders and the efforts required to tackle the issues

Food wastage is a problem that needs a concerted effort on the part of the government, farmers, food processors, retailers, and consumers. In the food supply chain, all of these are important stakeholders who can bring about a positive change through better practices and collaboration up and down the chain to reduce food wastage.

Investments in infrastructural facilities like cold storage facilities and efficient transportation networks are, therefore, very important in the reduction of food wastage. This is where cold chain solutions can help preserve the quality of perishables during transport and storage to extend shelf life and reduce spoilage.

Greater quality control standards at all stages, with reduced post-harvest losses, can reduce food wastage to a larger extent. This is achieved by introducing modern methods of processing and investing in appropriate technologies while training workers for enhanced efficiency without wastage.

Households could, for instance, be educated on meal planning, correct storage of food, and the advantage of donating extra food in their households. This may help reduce food wastage. Public awareness campaigns, therefore, might explain the environmental and economic impacts of food wastage and encourage more responsible consumption.

Food donations are backed up by food banks. Excesses that can be used in distribution among the needy, should be promoted. All other initiatives, whether the Indian Food Sharing Alliance or the India Food Banking Network, ensure that extra food goes to people who need it through mechanisms of food donation and recovery. Investments in reducing food wastage through cold chain solutions and more advanced ways of processing are no less important. This could be complemented by private sector contributions to food security, including solar-based cold storage solutions and efficient supply chain management systems toward improving the whole value addition chain in the food supply.

In addition, a National Policy on Food Loss and Waste (FLW) reduction and waste should be set up, whereby incentives and regulations encourage private sector engagement. These will continue to generate activity on considerable levels, including the formation of a comprehensive national strategy for the reduction of wastage of food a comprehensive one, including measurable goals concerning the reduction in food wastage through public-private partnerships.

Startup, Social Media and International Example

Startups and social media play a vital role in combating food loss through creativity and popular involvement. To illustrate, Waste Link and Green Pod Labs are companies in the country that deal with animal feed made from wastes from crops while the latter focuses on increasing the lifespan of perishable goods. Other similar initiatives are Denmark’s Too Good To Go app as well as the United Kingdom’s Winnow Solutions which uses artificial intelligence to eliminate wastage in restaurants thus showing the worldwide effect of technology-based solutions. Besides making noise about these things via advertisement platforms such as UK’s #LoveFoodHateWaste, there are also digital tools for sharing food like OLIO where communities can interactively stimulate one another on sustainable consumption.

When technology, policy and citizens’ participation come together, large-scale food waste reduction becomes possible as seen by successful practices from other countries including the pay-as-you-throw system employed in South Korea or legislation compelling shopping centres within Europe particularly France to make food donations that they would have otherwise thrown away.

Examples to be taken from other nations

A South Korea-like regulation, with a complete ban on landfill dumping and compulsory food waste recycling, reduces food wastage to near zero. That is to say, as long as safety can be guaranteed, standards for safe utilization can prevent environmental pollution from food waste. These would include the use of food waste in animal feed, composting, and other value-added product processing. These must be tied into campaigns for consumer change in consumption patterns and waste management practices. Colour-coded labels on food waste and non-recyclable products could serve as a guide to disposal behaviour and encourage more responsible practices.

In conclusion, food wastage is identified in the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals as being related to Zero Hunger and Responsible Consumption and Production. A country that reveres food must take ownership of its eating habits and find ways of collaboratively reducing food wastage. Comprehensive strategies at the forefront of reducing food wastage and building resilience and equity in the food system can ensure food security and environmental sustainability only through public-private partnerships. Reduction of food wastage is a moral imperative, but it is also a very pragmatic requirement if a sustainable future is to be built.