Why It’s Time To Put Farm And Food Waste To Use

The waste could be worth more than Rs 90,000cr annually, if properly used. It will also go a long way towards checking the problems of air, water and soil degradation

- Vishwa Mohan

Every year India generates about 500 million tonnes of farm waste, and Indian households waste 50kg food, per capita. In financial terms the harvest and post-harvest losses of major agricultural and allied produce amount to Rs 92,651 crore yearly.

But economic loss is not the only concern. Improper management of this waste has also been causing pollution of air, water and soil, which damages human health and the environment, and may affect the country’s food and nutritional security in the long run.

The burning of crop residues in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh that substantially deteriorates the air quality may appear to be a brief seasonal problem. But it has a far-reaching adverse impact on soil health through the killing of beneficial soil microorganisms.

Decline in soil fertility over the years ultimately prompts farmers to use more chemical fertilisers which, in turn, pollute the water bodies through irrigation runoff.