What India can do to reduce food wastage

The United Nations has designated September 29 as the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste (FLW), highlighting its significant implications for food security and environmental sustainability. Recent reports indicate that about 30% of global food production is lost or wasted, with initiatives from the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) advocating for a 50% reduction in FLW to meet Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

India's Food Loss and Waste Scenario

• Staggering Economic Losses: India suffers food losses worth Rs 1.53 trillion ($18.5 billion), with 12.5 million metric tons of cereals, 2.11 million metric tons of oilseeds, and 1.37 million metric tons of pulses lost annually.
• Horticultural Crop Losses: Approximately 49.9 million metric tons of horticultural crops are lost each year due to inadequate cold chain infrastructure, affecting both availability and farmers’ income potential.
• Quality Loss Assessment: A study by ICRIER-ADMI found that soybean has the highest post-harvest loss at 15.34%, followed by wheat at 7.87%, indicating the urgent need for technological interventions across the agricultural value chain.

Technological Solutions to FLW

• Mechanisation Benefits: Farmers utilizing combine harvesters experience significantly lower paddy losses. Mechanisation can reduce overall loss in paddy to just 2.84%, yet only 4.4% of cultivator households own tractors, limiting access for small farmers.
• Role of Farmer Producer Organisations: Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) and Custom Hiring Centres (CHCs) can facilitate access to farm machinery through group leasing, addressing the mechanisation gap for small and marginal farmers.
• Importance of Infrastructure: Improving drying and storage infrastructure is crucial; traditional sun drying methods pose risks. Solar dryers can mitigate these losses, while the government’s grain storage plan aims to increase capacity by 70 million metric tons over five years.

Policy Recommendations for Reducing FLW

• Critical Need for Policy Support: To ensure small farmers benefit from technological advancements, supportive policies are necessary. The Jute Packaging Material Act (JPMA) should be revisited to promote the use of airtight bags, reducing losses due to spoilage.
• Impact of Climate Change: Addressing food loss is essential not only for economic efficiency but also for food security and resilience against climate change and malnutrition challenges in India.
• Comprehensive Approach Required: Reducing post-harvest losses requires a holistic approach that combines technology, infrastructure improvements, and effective policy measures to enhance food systems and environmental sustainability.

Practice Question

Q. Critically evaluate the current state of food loss and waste in India and discuss the technological and policy measures necessary to mitigate these losses. How can these efforts contribute to achieving food security and sustainability in the context of climate change?