Answer

Introduction

On September 29, IDAFLW highlighted that nearly one-third of all food produced is either lost or wasted.Globally, nearly 1.3 billion tonnes of food is lost or wasted every year, accounting for 8–10% of greenhouse gas emissions (FAO, 2023). In India too, post-harvest losses worth trillions of rupees and significant methane emissions from paddy highlight how inefficiencies in the food chain aggravate both farmer distress and climate change.

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Multifaceted impact of post-harvest food loss in India

• Economic losses for farmers and the nation: Post-harvest losses cost India nearly ₹1.5 trillion annually, reducing farmer incomes and cutting into agricultural GDP.
• Nutritional insecurity: Each tonne of wasted food represents lost nutrition at a time when undernutrition persists in India.
  Eg: Millions of tonnes of cereals, fruits and vegetables are lost annually, denying access to affordable food.
• Environmental degradation: Food loss means wasted water, energy, and land resources used in production.
  Eg: Losses of staples such as paddy and wheat translate into wasted irrigation and labour resources.
• Climate change burden: Food loss generates large greenhouse gas emissions, worsening India’s carbon footprint.
  Eg: Loss of 30 crops and livestock products generates over 33 million tonnes of CO2-equivalent annually.
• High resource intensity of perishables: Fruits, vegetables, and livestock products have greater vulnerability and higher ecological cost when lost.
  Eg: Losses in paddy alone cause over 10 million tonnes of CO2-equivalent due to methane emissions from rice.
  
• Supply chain inefficiency: Most losses occur in handling, processing, and distribution, exposing infrastructural and logistical weaknesses.
  Eg: Unlike high-income countries, in India losses are not consumer-driven but occur early in the chain.
• Food price volatility and reduced availability: Losses reduce overall supply, pushing up costs and affecting affordability.
  Eg: High wastage in perishables such as fruits and vegetables (10–15%) constrains availability in markets.
• Missed opportunities in circular economy: Wasted food could otherwise be diverted for compost, feed, or bioenergy.
  Eg: Current gaps in redistribution to food banks or waste-to-energy conversion mean preventable losses persist.

Multi-pronged strategy: Role of technology

• Strengthening cold chains and storage: Expanding pre-cooling, refrigerated transport, and modern storage can reduce spoilage.
  Eg: PMKSY is already working to modernise cold chain infrastructure across India.
• Affordable smallholder technologies: Solar cold storage, low-cost cooling chambers, crates for perishables, and silos for grains can cut losses.
  Eg: Adoption of moisture-proof silos reduces grain spoilage at farm level.
• Digital monitoring and forecasting: IoT sensors, AI-driven forecasting, and mobile tools help track and prevent losses.
  Eg: FAO’s Food Loss App (FLAPP), launched in 2023, is being used in over 30 countries for loss tracking.
• Circular use of waste: Converting unavoidable waste into compost, feed, or bioenergy ensures resources are not lost.
  Eg: Surplus food at retail can be redirected to food banks and community kitchens.

Multi-pronged strategy: Role of policy interventions

• Integration with climate and food security strategies: Reducing food loss must be recognised as central to achieving SDGs and India’s climate goals.
  Eg: SDG indicator 12.3.1 is already included in the National Indicator Framework for accountability.
• Targeted investments and subsidies: Policy support for cold chains, modern logistics, and small-scale technologies can accelerate adoption.
• Strengthening institutional frameworks: Regular surveys, monitoring, and collaboration with global organisations can build evidence-based action.
• Encouraging private sector and civil society participation: Policies that promote circular models, redistribution, and awareness campaigns can scale impact.
  Eg: Partnerships with food banks and community kitchens redirect surplus food to those in need.

Conclusion

Addressing this crisis needs systemic reforms, not piecemeal fixes. Strengthening cold chains, scaling affordable storage, and deploying AI and FLAPP tools must be supported by policy and finance. Aligning loss reduction with SDG 12.3 and climate goals can boost farmer incomes, food security, and sustainability.

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