What an empty plate of food should symbolise

The Hindu Editorial Analysis
29 September 2025

What an empty plate of food should symbolise

(Source – The Hindu, International Edition – Page No. – 8)

Topic : GS 3: Economy

Context

Marking the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste must spotlight the challenge eroding food security and climate security — the tonnes of food wasted globally.

Introduction

On September 29, the world observes the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste (IDAFLW), aimed at highlighting a silent crisis undermining both food security and climate security. Globally, nearly one-third of food produced is lost or wasted. As a major food producer, India too faces significant post-harvest losses, as revealed in a 2022 NABCONS study commissioned by MoFPI.

Post-Harvest Losses: Scale, Impact, and Solutions

• Economic Toll: Losses cost India ₹1.5 trillion annually, about 3.7% of agricultural GDP.
• Crop Vulnerability:
  • Fruits and vegetables: 10–15% losses
  • Paddy: 4.8%
  • Wheat: 4.2%
• Resource Wastage: Each tonne of food lost means wasted nutrition, water, energy, and labour, deepening the climate crisis.
• National Consequences: Impacts include lower farmer incomes, reduced food availability, threats to environmental sustainability, and risks to climate stability.
• Variation in Impact: Losses differ across crops, value chains, and regions.
• Mapping food loss and its GHG emissions is vital for targeted interventions, ensuring food security and supporting India’s climate commitments.

Government Action and Emerging Evidence on Post-Harvest Losses

• National Surveys: The Government of India has conducted three rounds of nationwide post-harvest surveys covering 50+ crops, offering critical insights into value-chain losses.
• Global Alignment: Integration of SDG indicator 12.3.1 (Global Food Loss and Waste) into the National Indicator Framework enables systematic monitoring, enhances accountability, and aligns India with international targets for food system transformation.
• Collaborative Study: A joint effort by the FAO and NIFTEM, supported by the Green Climate Fund (GCF), provided the first sector-, state-, and operation-wise estimates of GHG emissions from post-harvest and retail waste in 30 crops and livestock products.
• Key Findings:
  • Losses in cereals (especially paddy) result in 10+ million tonnes of CO₂-equivalent emissions annuallydue to rice’s high methane intensity.
  • Livestock product losses are highly damaging because of their resource-heavy footprint.
  • Overall, food loss from the studied commodities generates 33+ million tonnes of CO₂-equivalent emissions per year — a preventable burden.
• India vs. High-Income Countries:
  • In India, most losses occur early in the supply chain (handling, processing, distribution).
  • In high-income countries, food waste is largely consumer-driven.
• Core Challenges: India’s food system faces infrastructure gaps, limited technology adoption, and fragmented supply chains, amplifying post-harvest losses.

Solutions to India’s Food Loss Challenge

• Scope for Change: India’s food loss challenge is large, but solutions are achievable through technology, partnerships, private sector commitments, and a shift to a circular economy.
• Infrastructure Strengthening:
  • Weak infrastructure is a major cause of losses.
  • Cold chains — including pre-cooling, refrigerated transport, and modern storage — are critical for perishables like fruits, vegetables, dairy, and meat.
  • Initiatives like Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana (PMKSY) aim to modernise food logistics and processing clusters.
• Affordable Technology:
  • Solar cold storage, low-cost cooling chambers, perishable crates, and moisture-proof silos for grains can help smallholders reduce spoilage.
• Digital Tools:
  • IoT sensors and AI-driven forecasting enhance storage, transport, and distribution, eliminating bottlenecks.
  • The FAO Food Loss App (FLAPP, 2023) allows tracking of losses across the value chain and is used in 30+ countries.
• Circular Economy at Retail Level:
  • Surplus food can be redirected to food banks and community kitchens.
  • Unavoidable waste can be converted into compost, animal feed, or bioenergy.
• Policy Support: Scaling solutions requires subsidies, credit guarantees, and low-interest loans to enable widespread adoption.

Shared Responsibility in Tackling Food Loss

• Supply Chain Scope: Food loss occurs across the entire supply chain, requiring collective action.
• Government Role:
  • Integrate loss reduction into climate strategies.
  • Invest in resilient infrastructure to prevent post-harvest losses.
• Business Role:
  • Adopt circular economy models.
  • Scale innovations to improve storage, transport, and distribution.
• Civil Society and Academia:
  • Drive research, awareness campaigns, and evidence-based solutions.
• Consumer Role:
  • Make mindful choices to reduce waste.
  • Support food redistribution programs.
• Significance of IDAFLW: The International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste is a call to action, not merely symbolic.
  • Saving food helps in climate conservation, resource preservation, and livelihood protection.
  • An empty plate should represent a meal enjoyed, not resources wasted.

Conclusion

The challenge of food loss in India is immense, but solutions are within reach through technology, infrastructure, circular economy practices, and collective action. Governments, businesses, civil society, and consumers must share responsibility to reduce waste, conserve resources, protect livelihoods, and strengthen climate resilience. The IDAFLWis a call to ensure that an empty plate symbolizes nourishment, not squandered resources.

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