Food waste drains Rs 90,000 crore from Indian economy annually: UNEP
The food loss is also contributing to the climate crisis, as the waste problem is multi-layered and hits both farms and homes
By - Kaniza Garari
Representational Image
Hyderabad: As much as Rs 90,000 crores are lost annually in India due to food wastage, according to observations and data highlighted on the International Day of Food Loss and Waste on September 29.
The data collated by the UNEP Food Waste Index Report 2024 shows that this massive loss not only hurts the economy but also strains resources like water and land. The food loss is also contributing to the climate crisis, as the waste problem is multi-layered and hits both farms and homes.
Key drivers of India’s food loss and waste
The waste problem is predominantly driven by two major factors, with a third, modern concern emerging in urban centres:
1. The Farm-to-Market Gap (Post-Harvest Loss): This is where the majority of food loss occurs, accounting for approximately 13 per cent of total production. Perishable items like fruits and vegetables (horticulture) are severely affected. The primary culprit is the lack of robust cold-chain infrastructure, including inadequate cold storage, pack-houses and refrigerated transport, leading to spoilage before produce even reaches the market.
2. Household Waste: At the consumer level, India generates about 78 million tonnes of household food waste annually, translating to approximately 55 kg per capita. Indian households are the largest source of post-consumer waste, often due to over-purchasing, poor storage and cooking more than required.
3. Food Delivery Apps: In metropolitan areas, online Food Delivery Apps (FDAs) are introducing new complexities. While FDAs have revolutionised convenience, they contribute to waste through:
- Over-Ordering: Attractive discounts and minimum order requirements often push consumers to buy more than they can consume, resulting in higher plate waste.
- Cancellations and Surplus: Cancelled orders can lead to significant volumes of wasted, prepared food. One calculation estimated that 1,350 to 1,600 tonnes of food may be wasted in India annually due to online cancellations alone.
- Packaging Waste: The proliferation of single-use plastic and non-biodegradable packaging from every order adds a massive burden to India’s already struggling municipal solid waste management system.
India is committed to Sustainable Development Goal 12.3, which calls for halving per-capita food waste at the retail and consumer levels and reducing food losses along the production and supply chains by 2030.
To achieve this, a shift from fragmented efforts to a national, standardised approach is critical.
A comprehensive way forward for India
Achieving SDG 12.3 requires targeted interventions across the entire food ecosystem:
1. Strengthening Cold Chains and Farm Infrastructure: Concessional finance must be provided to aggressively scale up farmer aggregation centres, pack-houses, cold storage, and cold transport. This will be the single largest measure to curb post-harvest losses.
2. Transforming Urban Waste Management: Municipalities must be mandated to compost or utilise anaerobic digestion for organic waste. Local awareness campaigns and the promotion of decentralised composting in residential colonies are essential.
3. Harnessing Technology for Good: Food delivery platforms and restaurants should be encouraged to use data analytics to prevent overproduction.
4. Promoting Circularity: Unavoidable food waste must be valorised—converted into higher-value uses like animal feed, compost or bioenergy, diverting organic waste from methane-producing landfills.
5. Standardised Measurement and Policy Integration: A national baseline using UNEP/FAO methods must be established. Food loss and waste targets must be explicitly mainstreamed into national climate action plans and public procurement policies to ensure accountability.
