Background:

• • The United Nations has designated September 29 as the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste (FLW). 
  • Events to mark the day are jointly convened by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) because the issue has important implications for food security and saving our environment. 
  • An FAO, 2023 report estimates that food lost between harvest and retail amounts to 13.2 percent of the global food production. Interestingly, UNEP estimates that 17 percent of food is wasted between retail and feeding people.
  • The all-India post-harvest loss survey by NABARD Consultancy Services(NABCONS), 2022, shows that the country suffers from food losses worth Rs 1.53 trillion ($18.5 billion) with a loss of 
    • 12.5 million metric tons (MMT) of cereals, 
    • 2.11 MMT of oilseeds and 

• 1.37 MMT of pulses. 

Causes of High Food Wastage in India:

• Inefficient Harvesting Techniques: Low levels of mechanisation, especially among small and marginal farmers, result in substantial post-harvest losses. 
  • Traditional manual harvesting methods are less efficient compared to mechanised methods like combine harvesting.
  • The study by  Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER)  reveals that overall loss in paddy drops to just 2.84 percent if mechanisation in harvesting and drying is adopted at the farm. 
• Inadequate Drying and Storage Facilities: Traditional drying methods, such as sun drying, are less effective and expose crops to contaminants, moisture, and pests, which can lead to quality degradation and spoilage.
• Poor Cold Chain Infrastructure: Inadequate facilities for storage and transportation of perishable goods lead to high losses, especially in horticultural crops like fruits and vegetables.
  • Issues in transportation networks contribute to delays and losses in moving food products from farms to markets.
• Lack of Access to Technology: Small and marginal farmers (over 86% of agricultural households) often cannot afford advanced agricultural machinery. 
• Jute Packaging Material Act (JPMA, 1987) talks of using jute bags for packaging rice, and wheat grains. 
  • Even though jute is biodegradable, its use leads to frequent rodent attacks and pilferage in India’s climate and lead to higher losses during storage and transit.
• Market Access Issues: Small farmers may face difficulties accessing markets, leading to unsold produce and subsequent waste.
• Limited Awareness and Training: SmaFarmers may lack knowledge about modern agricultural practices, post-harvest handling, and technologies that could minimise losses.
• Consumer Behaviour: Significant food waste occurs at the consumer level due to factors such as over-purchasing, lack of planning, and cultural practices surrounding food consumption, including lavish weddings and feasts.

Government Efforts to address Food wastage:

• Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana  is a comprehensive package which will result in creation of modern infrastructure with efficient supply chain management from farm gate to retail outlet. 
  • Pre-existing schemes like the Mega Food Parks scheme were included into this scheme.
• Kisan Rails: The objective of this service is to move perishables including fruits, vegetables, meat, poultry, fishery and dairy products from the areas of production or surplus regions to consumption or deficient regions, and speedy movement of these perishables to ensure minimum damage during transit. 

Measures Required to address Food wastage:

• Improving Cold Chain Infrastructure: Enhance cold storage and refrigerated transportation facilities to reduce spoilage of perishable goods like fruits and vegetables.
• Promoting Mechanization in Agriculture: Increase the use of farm machinery like combine harvesters, threshers, and power tillers, particularly among small and marginal farmers.
  • Encourage group leasing arrangements and easy hiring of farm machinery through Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) and Custom Hiring Centres (CHCs).
• Drying and Storage Facilities: Introduce modern drying methods like solar dryers and dehydrators, which are more efficient in  reducing contamination risks, and are cost-effective for small-scale farmers.
  • Expand grain storage capacity through government initiatives to modernise agricultural storage infrastructure.
• Efficient Transportation Systems: Improve the logistics and transportation networks to reduce delays and minimise losses during the transport of food products from farms to markets.
• Access to Technology for Small Farmers: Provide small and marginal farmers with better access to affordable technology and machinery through subsidies, cooperative models, or group leasing arrangements to improve efficiency and reduce losses.
• Awareness: Educate farmers about modern post-harvest handling, better storage practices, and the use of technology to reduce both quantity and quality losses.

Conclusion:

• Food loss and waste (FLW) amounts to about 30 percent of the global food production. 
• Even if half of this food is saved and used, it could easily feed all the hungry people in the world. 
• Such savings could also help reduce at least 8 to 10 percent of the world’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and 38 per cent of total energy usage, making our planet breathe better. 
• Therefore, it is important to be aware of these potential benefits and commit ourselves to reducing FLW by at least 50 per cent, thus contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations.