Tackling Food Loss And Waste — India’s Opportunity, Pg6

Key Highlights:

• Food loss and waste present significant challenges globally, impacting climate, food security, and natural resources.
• India observes the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste annually on September 29.
• India is unique in having conducted three national post-harvest loss surveys through the Ministry of Food Processing Industries.
• Reducing food loss and waste offers a "triple win" by enhancing food security, reducing emissions, and improving incomes.
• Wholesale markets in India generate substantial organic waste, which can be converted into valuable resources like bio-CNG.

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Detailed Insights:

• Despite producing enough food for its 1.4 billion population, India experiences considerable food loss across its value chain.
• The Ministry of Food Processing Industries conducted surveys in 2005-07, 2012-14, and 2020-22, covering 45, 45, and 54 commodities respectively.
• These national surveys contribute to India's reporting on the Food Loss Index under the Sustainable Development Goals.
• Data on food waste in retail, hotels, restaurants, and households is less developed compared to post-harvest loss data.
• The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is collaborating with Indian institutions to implement solutions for food loss and waste.
• Key interventions include improved storage, drying, cooling, moisture management, processing, and digital traceability systems.
• Circular approaches involve redistributing surplus food and converting organic residues into compost, biogas, or energy.
• Assessments by FAO and the National Council of Agriculture Marketing Boards (COSAMB) indicate wholesale markets can produce up to 100 tonnes of organic waste daily.
• Nationally, this organic waste amounts to an estimated 3.5 million tonnes annually, capable of offsetting 3.3 million tonnes of CO2-equivalent emissions.
• A 50-tonne-a-day bio-CNG plant in Surat, Gujarat, exemplifies a successful private-sector partnership in waste conversion.
• The FAO and the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) are facilitating finance for climate-resilient technologies in food-loss hotspots.
• The FAO is also developing a "Package of Practices" to assist Indian municipalities in managing urban food loss and waste.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Food Loss: Decrease in the quantity or quality of food resulting from decisions and actions by food suppliers in the food chain, excluding retail and consumption.
• Food Waste: Decrease in the quantity or quality of food resulting from decisions and actions by retailers, food service providers, and consumers.
• Circular Economy: An economic system aimed at eliminating waste and the continual use of resources.
• Bio-CNG: Compressed natural gas produced from biomass sources like agricultural waste or organic municipal waste.