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Home / UPSC Editorials / International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste (FLW)

International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste (FLW) | UPSC Editorials

Last Updated on Oct 05, 2024
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With a view toward reducing food loss and waste, whether it be food loss or reduction of nutritional content within food products, there must be an enhancement of economic efficiency along with the improvement of food security, boosting nutrition, and a safe environment in general. It becomes all the more crucial in that the post-harvest losses in a country like India are considered to be quite significant. The article discusses the status of food loss and waste in India along with underlying reasons and viable solutions to mitigate those problems.

Analysis based on 

Editorial What India can do to reduce food wastage published in The Indian Express on September 30th, 2024

Topics for UPSC Prelims

Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY), Mega Food Park Scheme, Gramin Bhandaran Yojana, and Operation Greens, greenhouse gas emissions, Agri-Market Infrastructure Fund (AMIF)

Topics for UPSC Mains

Government policies and interventions aimed at reducing food loss and waste, Agricultural practices to reduce post-harvest losses

About the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste (FLW)

The United Nations introduced the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste which is celebrated every year on September 29. The day focuses on throwing more light on some key issues regarding food loss and waste, as well as their related impacts on food security, nutrition, and environmental sustainability. It is jointly coordinated by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

Objectives of FLW Day

  • Raise Awareness: The importance and implications of FLW would be brought into attention globally.
  • Promotion of Solutions: Best practices and innovations shared among global stakeholders to mitigate FLW.
  • Encourage Action: It catalyzes national and international efforts to reduce FLW appreciably, supporting the United Nations SDGs.

Read the article on the national food security act!

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Status of Food Loss and Waste in India

India suffers enormous losses in food along its agriculture and supply chains. A 2022 NABCONS survey reports that India loses food valued at ₹1.53 trillion ($18.5 billion annually in the form of 12.5 MMT of cereals, 2.11 MMT oilseed, and 1.37 MMT pulses. It further loses 49.9 MMT of horticultural crops due to inadequate cold chain infrastructure and poor post-harvest mishandling practices.

Reasons for High Food Loss and Waste in India

Some of the reasons why there is significant food loss and waste in India include:

  • Poor Infrastructure: These are inadequate cold storage facilities and proper storage facilities, which leads to the spoiling and degradation of perishable items.
  • Low Levels of Mechanisation: In the absence of modern agricultural machinery, harvesting and handling after harvest are inefficient.
  • Traditional Farming Practices: Excessive dependence on archaic practices leads to enhanced post-harvest losses in various farm operations such as threshing and drying.
  • Poor Supply Chain System: Weak logistics coupled with broken supply chains lead to delay resulting in spoilage.
  • Food Losses: Consumer loss arises from over-celebratory feasting and improper food management at personal levels greatly.

Read the article on the GRFC global report on food crises!

Significance of Agricultural Mechanisation

Mechanization is one of the prime aspects to minimize post-harvest losses and enhance productivity. Mechanization is the process of using up-to-date machines and technology to execute any agricultural practice in the most efficient and effective manner.

Benefits of Mechanization

  • Reduce Losses: Using modern equipment like the combine harvester drastically reduces post-harvest losses. According to different studies, mechanized operations tend to decrease paddy losses from 6.37% as low as 2.84%.
  • High Productivity: Mechanization increases the productivity of agricultural activities hence quality produce is attained and higher yields.
  • Labor Productivity: It minimizes reliance on manual labor, but also ensures there is no shortage of workers during peak agricultural seasons.
  • Timeliness: Mechanization helps in the requirement of timeliness in farming activity while ensuring crop health and maximum yields are well ascertained.

Read the article on India's record foodgrain production!

Environmental and Economic Consequences of Food Loss and Waste (FLW)

The environmental and economic impacts of food loss and waste are profound.

Environmental Impacts

  • Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Food loss and waste contribute to about 8-10 percent of the total global greenhouse gas emissions, mainly through the decomposition of organic matter in landfills.
  • Resource Degradation: Food wastage means losing all these important resources in terms of water, energy, and arable land.
  • Biodiversity Loss: Preventing losses by means of intensive agriculture causes habitat destruction, which ultimately results in biodiversity loss.

Economic Impacts

  • Economic Losses: The monetary loss from FLW in India amounts to ₹1.53 trillion every year.
  • Incomes of Farmers Reduced: Losses during the post-harvesting stages directly affect the quantity and, consequently, the quality of the produce marketed by farmers.

Prices to Consumers: Inefficiencies and loss throughout the supply chain result in high prices for consumers, making the food less affordable for consumers.

Impact of Food Loss and Waste on Food Security and Nutrition

Food loss and waste affect food security and nutrition directly and immediately as follows:

  • Availability Loss: Post-harvest losses reduce the availability of food, thereby accentuating hunger and food insecurity.
  • Nutritional Deficits: Since fruits and vegetables, often rich products for nutrition intake of populations, are lost, it also reflects poorly on the nutrition of the population.
  • Price Volatility: More wastage means market inefficiencies and more money-for-scarce products, which ultimately restricts the availability of nutritious food among low-income consumers.

Read the article on ready to use therapeutic food!

Indian Government Initiatives to Reduce Food Loss and Waste

In relation to the above and to help reduce food losses and waste, the Indian government has initiated several steps:

  • Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY): Its goal is to rejuvenate irrigation infrastructure that will focus on increasing productivity and reducing post-harvest losses.
  • Mega Food Park Scheme: The scheme focuses on development of food processing parks with an aim to ensure that the losses during processing and packaging are reduced as much as possible.
  • Gramin Bhandaran Yojana: This encourages rural godown construction by improving the condition of their storage facilities, which means reducing post-harvest losses.
  • Operation Greens: It focuses on stabilizing price volatility for perishable commodities, which further reduces wastage.
  • National Agriculture Market (eNAM): This will offer an online platform for trade to make agriculture marketing more streamlined and avoid inefficiencies in supply chains.

Read the article on the rise in export of agricultural processed food products!

Way Forward

Food loss and waste in India require actions on multiple fronts and through technology, infrastructure, policies, and behavioral principles.

  • Promote Mechanization: Ensure a subsidy for getting access to high-tech agricultural machinery through Farmer Producer Organizations and Custom Hiring Centres.
  • Increasing Storage Capacities: Invest in new storage technologies like cold chains and warehouses to minimize losses from spoilage.
  • Harnessing Benefit of Solar Drying Technology: Promote the use of solar dryers, particularly for small farmers, to reduce losses during drying procedures.
  • Review of Jute Packaging Material Act: Relax the restraint of the Jute Packaging Material Act for packing in airtight bags. It has huge scope for minimizing losses during storage and transit also.
  • Monetary Incentives: Offer monetary incentives for adopting the loss-reducing technologies and practices.
  • Regulate Consumer Waste: Organize policies in order to minimize consumer food wastage through understanding awareness and waste segregation campaigns.
  • Consumer Education: Organize educational campaigns to inculcate awareness pertaining to the problems food wastage raises in the society and consumption practices that do not generate waste.
  • Promote Cultural Practices that do not waste food: Promote cultural practices that entail minimum wastage of food in celebrations and other social functions.
  • Public-Private Partnerships: Strengthen partnerships among government agencies, private sector, and civil society by developing effective solutions and implementation strategies.
  • International Cooperation: Acquire the best international models and adapt these models and practices to suit the Indian context for reduction of food loss and waste.
  • R&D Investments: Encourage the conduct of research on innovative new technologies and practices suited to local conditions as part of food loss and waste reduction.
  • Quality Loss Assessment: Find ways of quantifying and managing both quality and quantity losses during the food supply chain chain.

Read the article on world food day!

Conclusion

Thus, reductions in food losses and waste are very important issues for food security, improved nutrition, and a safe environment. The challenge thus requires a multi-faceted approach for India: technological incorporation in the form of innovation in the infrastructure base, reforming policies, and making behavioral changes about proper usage and disposal. Collaboration and innovation are thus the key drivers in maximizing reductions in FLW concomitantly with global food security and sustainability goals that all stakeholders, including policy-makers, would have to address.

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UPSC Practice Questions

Q1. Discuss the major causes of food loss and waste in India. How do these losses affect the country's food security and nutrition? Suggest measures that can be taken to address this issue comprehensively.

Q2. Evaluate the role of agricultural mechanization in reducing food loss in India. What are the challenges faced by small and marginal farmers in adopting mechanized farming practices? Propose solutions to overcome these challenges.

Q3. Critically analyze the impact of food loss and waste on the environment and economy. Discuss how policy reforms and technological interventions can mitigate these impacts.

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