Context
- The International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste, observed on 29 September 2026, renewed attention to reducing losses across agrifood systems.
- For India, tackling food loss and waste can strengthen food security, farmer incomes, resource efficiency and climate action.
Measuring Food Loss: India’s Evidence Base and Data Gaps
- Food loss mainly occurs from production and post-harvest stages up to, but excluding, retail, while food waste largely occurs at retail and consumption stages.
- India has developed a strong evidence base through successive national assessments of post-harvest losses, including major studies covering 2012–14 and 2020–22.
- The 2020–22 assessment covered 54 commodities across 15 agro-climatic zones and 292 districts.
- Such data helps identify loss hotspots, vulnerable commodities and stages requiring investment.
- It is also relevant for monitoring progress under SDG 12.3, which seeks to reduce food losses and halve per-capita food waste.
- However, systematic information on waste generated by households, retailers, hotels and restaurants remains comparatively limited.
Reducing Loss Across the Supply Chain
- Storage and cooling: Better warehouses and cold-chain systems can reduce deterioration of perishables.
- Drying and moisture control: Improved post-harvest practices can limit spoilage of grains and other commodities.
- Processing: Converting highly perishable produce into processed products can extend shelf life.
- Digital traceability: Better tracking of movement, quality and demand can improve supply-chain decisions.
- Affordable technology: Small farmers, FPOs and MSMEs need access to finance for adopting loss-reducing technologies.
- Reducing post-harvest losses increases usable food availability without proportionately increasing land, water and production inputs.
From Food Waste to Circular Economy
- Wholesale markets can generate large quantities of organic waste, creating both disposal challenges and resource-recovery opportunities.
- Edible surplus should first be redirected for human consumption wherever safe and feasible.
- Unavoidable organic residues can be converted into compost, biogas, bio-CNG and biofertilisers.
- A 50-tonne-per-day compressed biogas plant in Surat demonstrates how wholesale-market waste can be converted into useful energy and biofertiliser.
- FAO estimates that the project reduces methane-related emissions by about 7,500 tonnes annually.
- Such models turn organic waste from an environmental liability into a source of energy, nutrients and economic value.
Policy and Investment Priorities
- Close data gaps: Develop regular measurement of household, retail and food-service waste.
- Target infrastructure: Expand cooling, drying, storage and processing where loss hotspots are identified.
- Improve finance: Enable farmers and MSMEs to adopt climate-resilient post-harvest technologies.
- Strengthen urban systems: Municipalities and market committees need better segregation, collection and treatment of organic waste.
- Promote circularity: Develop stronger markets for compost, biogas and other recovered products.
- Integrate policies: Food-loss reduction should become part of agriculture, food processing, urban planning and climate strategies.
FAQs
Q1. What is the difference between food loss and food waste?
Food loss mainly occurs before retail, while food waste largely occurs at retail and consumption stages.
Q2. Why are national post-harvest assessments important?
They help identify where, how and in which commodities food losses are occurring.
Q3. Which SDG addresses food loss and waste?
SDG 12.3 under responsible consumption and production.
Q4. How can organic food waste be converted into value?
Through composting, biogas, bio-CNG and biofertiliser production.
Q5. What should India prioritise?
Better data, infrastructure, finance, technology and integrated food-system planning.
