The International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste (IDAFLW) highlights a critical crisis where globally, nearly one-third of all food produced is either lost or wasted. As a major food producer, India faces substantial post-harvest losses (PHL) with severe economic and environmental consequences.

Economic and Environmental Ramifications

Economic Toll: PHL is estimated to cost India nearly ₹1.5 trillion annually, equating to about 3.7% of agricultural GDP.
Vulnerability of Crops: Fruits and vegetables are the most vulnerable, with losses reaching 10%-15%, while staple crops like paddy (4.8%) and wheat (4.2%) also experience significant wastage, amounting to millions of tonnes lost yearly.
Wasted Resources: Each tonne of food lost represents wasted water, energy, and labour, putting pressure on ecosystems and deepening the climate crisis.
Climate Connection (GHG Emissions): A recent FAO and NIFTEM study estimated that food loss from 30 commodities generates over 33 million tonnes of CO2-equivalent emissions each year.
- Paddy's Methane Intensity: Even modest percentage losses in cereals, particularly paddy, translate into more than 10 million tonnes of CO2-equivalent emissions annually due to the high methane intensity of rice.
- Livestock's Resource Footprint: Losses of livestock products are equally damaging due to their heavy resource footprint.

Drivers of Food Loss in India

Supply Chain Origin: The majority of losses in India occur early in the supply chain—during handling, processing, and distribution—in contrast to high-income countries where losses are consumer-driven.
Infrastructure Deficiencies: This pattern highlights the core challenges in India:
- Gaps in infrastructure (storage, transport).
- Limited technology use.
- Fragmented supply chains.

Government and International Initiatives

Systematic Monitoring: The Government of India has conducted three rounds of nationwide post-harvest surveys across over 50 crops.
International Alignment: Inclusion of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) indicator 12.3.1 (Global Food Loss and Waste) in the National Indicator Framework strengthens accountability and ensures alignment with international targets.
Knowledge Base Expansion: A collaborative study by FAO and NIFTEM, supported by the Green Climate Fund (GCF), provides the first detailed sector-, state-, and operation-wise estimates of GHG emissions from PHL and retail waste.

Practical Solutions and Recommendations

Addressing the issue requires a multi-pronged approach focused on technology, partnerships, and a shift towards a circular economy.

1. Infrastructure and Logistics

Strengthening Cold Chains: Vital for perishables (fruits, vegetables, dairy, meat). Programmes such as Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana (PMKSY) are working to modernise this backbone of food logistics.
Affordable Technologies: Promoting low-cost solutions for smallholders, such as solar cold storage, low-cost cooling chambers, crates for perishables, and moisture-proof silos for grains.

2. Digitalization and Technology

Advanced Tools: Utilizing IoT sensors and Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven forecasting to improve storage, transport, and distribution, which helps remove bottlenecks and cut losses.
Tracking and Monitoring: Deployment of tools like the FAO Food Loss App (FLAPP), which allows farmers and organizations to track losses across the value chain.

3. Circular Economy and Policy Support

Surplus Redistribution: Redirecting surplus food at the retail end to food banks and community kitchens.
Waste Conversion: Converting unavoidable waste into compost, animal feed, or bioenergy.
Policy Support: Scaling these circular solutions requires strong policy support, including subsidies, credit guarantees, and low-interest loans.

Shared Responsibility

Food loss demands shared responsibility across the entire supply chain.

Government Role: Must integrate loss reduction into climate strategies and invest in resilient infrastructure.
Business Role: Should adopt circular models and scale innovations.
Civil Society/Academia: Can drive research and awareness.
Consumers: Can cut waste through mindful choices and support for redistribution initiatives.