Food Wastage, A Global Problem

Food wastage is a much more than a serious global problem. It is a slap on humanity; a colossal human tragedy

According to FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of United Nations), roughly one third of the food produced in India for human consumption every year gets lost or wasted due to fragmented food systems and inefficient supply chains. Most of the loss occurs even before the food reaches the consumer.

At the same time over a billion people in the world struggle with hunger. If this is not a colossal tragedy of our times, what is?

The Attitude

Food wastage is a rampant practice in India, as is hunger and malnutrition a rampant occurrence in the country. The Agriculture Ministry noted that crores worth of agricultural produce is wasted in India every year. It is strongly suspected things have improved in last few years. The huge food wastage in the country is not only due to inadequate cold storage facilities and poor transportation infrastructure. It is also a product of our lackadaisical attitude towards food wastage.

We waste food on our dinner tables, in our family functions, in wedding banquets in hotels and restaurants... it seems food wastage is almost a favourite pastime of affluent and middle class India. While doing so, we conveniently forget that many millions of Indians have to bear the pangs of hunger, as we cheerfully waste food! It is a disturbing reality that hunger is widespread in India; a country which is the largest producer of milk and the second largest producer of fruits and vegetables in the world. India consistently ranks poorly in the Global Hunger Index.

Environmental Impact