Addressing Food Loss and Waste - Start-ups and Ideas

In this article, Ram Ramprasad addresses the issue of food loss and waste, presenting several start-up examples and innovative solutions for aspiring entrepreneurs.

- Ram Ramprasad

India, like the rest of the world, is grappling with the issue of food waste. According to the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, 40 percent of food loss occurs during postharvest and processing in developing countries, while 40 percent of food loss takes place at the retail and consumer level in the developed world. Per capita food waste in Europe and North America amounts to 96-115 kg/year, whereas in South/SE Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, it is 6-11 kg/year. In India, approximately 35-40 per cent of fresh produce is lost due to challenges faced by wholesalers and retailers in cold storage facilities. Additionally, climate change poses additional hurdles.

Institutions such as the World Food Programme are doing commendable work in the developing world to tackle post-harvest losses. They employ simple yet highly impactful innovations such as grain storage with hermetic bags, solar dryers, community-based management systems, post-harvest training, access to digital technology, and more.

Around the world, several start-ups are emerging to make a difference in the field of food waste. The purpose of this article is to present a few start-up examples and innovative solutions to aspiring entrepreneurs. The focus should be on local solutions to local problems, with an emphasis on seeking natural and impactful approaches. Entrepreneurs must also explore new opportunities that contribute to food growth through sustainable start-ups. An example of such a start-up is listed below.

Solutions to Food Loss on Farms

Natural solutions to food loss and how start-ups can increase food supply