Cut food loss and waste for the sake of our planet and its people

It will reduce gas emissions that threaten our collective future and also enhance our food security

- JAGDAMBIKA PAL

Food loss and waste is a global concern that represents not just economic loss, but also the environmental and food security crisis. To put it into perspective, if food waste were a country, it would be the third-largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world, surpassing the US and China.

Food waste accounts for nearly 8-10% of annual global greenhouse gas emissions, which is nearly three times the total emissions from the aviation sector. Decaying food emits methane, a greenhouse gas about 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Food production and its inputs emit climate-harming gases too. Paradoxically, while nearly 20% of all food produced is wasted or lost, around 783 million people are grappling with hunger and about 150 million children under the age of five are suffering from stunted growth due to lack of proper nutrition.

Tackling food loss and waste is essential for us to address food and nutritional security challenges and significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The pressing need to tackle the problem is articulated in India's commitment to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12.3, which sets an ambitious target of reducing per capita global food waste at the retail and consumption levels and significantly cutting food loss along supply chains by 2030.