One of the most significant resources to a human being is food. Each year, food of all varieties is produced and shipped throughout India. A large proportion of the food produced in India is cut in half, this means that out of every 100 units of food produced, about 50 units are wasted and never eaten. In addition to show how much food is actually wasted and how this effect millions of people which are still suffering from hunger, the economic impact of wasted food on India creates an economic burden, both in terms of the loss of income due to food production failure as well as the economic cost of producing a food product.
Additionally, food loss harms the environment by wasting land, water, and energy, and by producing greenhouse gases when food is grown but never eaten. This article will cover what the problem of food waste looks like in India, include examples of the most successful initiatives to reduce food waste, discuss gaps implementation, and provide practical recommendations to reduce food waste in India.
Food waste is a huge loss of all the resources that went into producing it, including water, land, seeds, fertilizer, energy, and labor. Therefore, a single plate of wasted food represents months of effort, from the person who planted the seed to the one who harvested, transported, cooked, and served it. Food waste contributes to increased pollution because when food decomposes, the decomposition process produces methane, which is a greenhouse gas that is much stronger than carbon dioxide.
Methane retains more heat in the atmosphere and is making climate change worse, and as a result food waste is now considered one of the most significant contributors to climate change. Food waste accounts for roughly 9 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions related to the global food supply chain. Plus, the food supply chain generated nearly 18 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions in 2015, a large percentage of which is attributed to food waste.
Every year, the global economy is losing billions of dollars due to food wastage. Food wastage causes an approximate of 8-10% of the total greenhouse emissions throughout the world. If food waste were considered a country, it would rank as the third-largest polluter in the world, after China and the United States. In 2015, the food supply chain in the world generated around 18 billion metric tons of greenhouse gases. Much of this emission was in food that was cultivated, processed, transported and sold, but never consumed.
International agencies, including the United Nations, gather data to help identify the size of the problem and to identify possible solutions. The UNEP Food Waste Index Report 2021 assisted nations in evaluating food waste throughout the supply chain and make measures to meet SDG 12.3, which opposes to cut down the amount of food waste all over the globe by 50 percent by 2030. The 2021 Food Waste Index Report found that households throughout the world waste far more food than expected. This has helped countries to create policies and raise awareness about reducing waste at the household level.
The Food Waste Index Report 2024 provides a more robust estimate than the 2023 edition because of the number of countries surveyed and the quantity of data collected from each country. The 2024 report has three major changes from the 2023 report the collection of more data, a detailed methodology to measure food waste and developing recommendations for reducing food waste. In addition to offering guidance for the retail, food service and household sectors, the 2024 report will also provide strategies to help businesses identify the most important sectors to focus on for food waste reduction.
International organizations like the United Nations and others are engaged in collecting data for the purpose of comprehending the magnitude of food wastage and finding out ways to mitigate it. The UNEP Food Waste Index Report 2021 was of great assistance to nations in the large-scale assessment of food waste throughout the supply chain. It was also a supporter of the attainment of Sustainable Development Goal 12.3 which talks about a 50% cut in global food wastage by 2030. Report found that globally there are a lot more household food wastes than what was anticipated. These results have enabled the governments to come up with policies, and also, campaign at the grassroots level for the decline of food wastage to make it more common.
The 2024 report is an advancement over its earlier versions that included more data from additional countries and better methods of measuring food waste at the household, retail, and food service levels. It also helps businesses and governments to identify areas for waste reduction through the provision of guidance. The report promotes the “Target-Measure-Act” method. This involves the establishment of national food waste reduction targets, the conducting of regular waste measurements, and the usage of the obtained data to carry out impactful actions. By adopting this method, countries will be able to slowly and steadily reduce food waste and thus, attain the 2030 SDG goal.
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) published a short video that pointed out, on the one hand, the misery of 783 million hungry people in the world and, on the other hand, the misconception related to 1.05 billion food wastage that was measured in the year 2022 and turned into ash. Imagine, all these dead and dying people could have been saved by just half of the wasted food, and the wastage and loss would then again be responsible for the emission of at least 10% of the world’s greenhouse gases; besides, deforestation, overuse of water, soil erosion and the extinction of different species are the other areas that after contributing also suffer the consequences. The steps for the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals on food loss and waste to be achieved include educating consumers, supporting municipalities, and improving data collection.
Globally, it is estimated that 13.2 per cent of all food produced is lost from harvests to retail stores and 19 per cent of food produced is wasted after purchase (in homes, restaurants, and retail stores). Food waste depletes resources and increases greenhouse gases (GHGs). Slowing the rate of food waste, increasing resilience for food security, requires new technologies, improved supply chain logistics and consumer education & awareness, government regulations, and the collective efforts of all stakeholders – public and private.
In India, the magnitude of this problem is extraordinary. The Indian Express reported that India alone wastes approximately 78.2 million tonnes of food annually. This figure makes India one of the top food-wasting countries in the world. India also has the highest number of hungry individuals with approximately 233.9 million people who suffer from malnutrition; ranked 111 of 125 countries in the Global Hunger Index 2023.
According to the United Nations (UN), Indian housewives throw away, on average, 55 kg of food yearly; urban households waste significantly larger amounts of food when compared with rural households. Due to the vast differences between these regions, the food wasted throughout South Asia varies significantly, with Bhutan averaging 19 kgs per person of food wasted, whereas Pakistan averaging 130 kgs per person of food wasted.
According to estimates, approximately 60% of global food waste originates from households, followed by food service (28%) and retail (approximately 12%) sources. Food waste is higher in countries because they lack cold-chain systems. This situation is also being experienced by India, where state-of-the-art cold-chain systems are limited in many parts of the country and results in potatoes, peas, onions, and tomatoes rotting before reaching the consumer.
The total amount of food wasted by the world every year equates to nearly $1 trillion. In 2022 alone, billions of meals were thrown away in the world’s homes each day. This shocking statistic highlights how broken today’s food systems are. The United Nations has labelled food waste an ‘atrocity’ because at the same time we are producing enough food to satisfy the needs of nearly 2 billion people who suffer from hunger and undernourishment.
India is experiencing food waste at all stages of production and consumption, from farm to table. A significant amount of waste occurs at the stage of “post-harvest management”. Particularly for crops produced in India, farmers lack adequate storage, which means that transport vehicles are typically not refrigerated and therefore are often unable to keep crops fresh; thereby, the produce rots. Similarly, the market and mandis (the place where produce is sold to customers) do not have cold-chain facilities or warehouses to store the produce before it goes to the retailer. At the retail level, fruits and vegetables that do not meet the standards of the retailers will be discarded, as opposed to being offered for sale.
The effects of climate change include heatwaves, unpredictable rains, and flooding which are leading to crop failures. Fluctuating prices complicate farmer’s ability to plan for their crop harvest cycles. Unsustainable farming practices lead to lower to the fertility of soil and lower the quality of crops. Each of these issues contributes to an increase in food waste and decreased income for farmers. In addition, food waste contributes to increased methane emissions and a greater number of people suffering from undernutrition.
India requires comprehensive solutions but are not limited to, better solid waste management practices, appropriate legislation to encourage food donation, post-harvest assistance programs, such as Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi, and technological advancements. However, there are challenges as well. There is a lack of coordination among agencies in many locations, limited or outdated data which lead to concern for food waste, and the need to enhance infrastructure. A clear and cohesive national roadmap for the entire food value chain should be developed.
Several of India’s organisations and citizens are driving a change in this area. One excellent example is the Robin Hood Army (RHA). RHA is a completely volunteer-based organisation and is financially supported by no formal means they obtain food from restaurants that would otherwise be disposed of and distribute it to orphanages, homeless shelters and people from economically distressed regions. RHA specifies that their objective is to ensure that all food donated to RHA is received with dignity. Since founding in 2014, RHA has grown to have more than 60,000 members throughout India and in 12 other countries. The Robin Hood Academy provides education and connects children with educational institutions. Additionally, RHA’s #Mission30M campaign during the COVID-19 pandemic distributed 23 million meals in six weeks.
RHA’s goal with the “Pack One for Pintu” campaign is to prevent food wastage and feed children through the use of community fridges, food donation bins, and partnerships with companies like Swiggy and Zomato. Volunteers collect and deliver food, while media campaigns and basic packaging help persuade other families to donate their spare food.
In India, there are community-driven initiatives to reduce waste as well. One initiative is based in Udupi, a city located in the state of Karnataka. The women’s self-help groups (known as SHGs) have been working to manage waste by recycling and composting organic materials since 2006 as part of an initiative called Nirmala Nagara Yojana. The initial SHG was created by a woman named Chanda Anand Anchan, and it has since expanded to 14 SHGs that manage the garbage in 27 different areas of Udupi.
The SHGs educate residents on how to separate their food waste from other types of waste. The SHGs have received assistance from the NGO Saahas, which has helped improve the amount of food waste that is being separated from other types of waste. After receiving guidance from Saahas, the SHGs are now sending the food waste they collect to composting and biogas facilities. This practice helps reduce the level of methane gas emitted into the environment and prevents food scraps from being sent to landfills. Additionally, the SHGs are providing jobs to over 100 women who are members of the SHGs. In 2017, the SHGs signed an agreement with Udupi City Municipal Council to guarantee safe operation and continued work.
The model created by Chanda and the other SHG members has been so successful that it has been replicated in many areas of rural Karnataka. Currently, over 600 women are employed through the SHGs, operating similar waste management programs throughout the state of Karnataka. Composting at the household level is now being widely accepted. Chanda’s SHG has also created standardised methods for recording data on the amount of waste being collected and, on the distances, tripped to deliver the waste to its ultimate destination, and these records are kept using WhatsApp. The work done by Chanda’s SHG was also publicised in an article written by The Times of India in 2021. This article serves to highlight the positive impact that women-led SHGs can have to help reduce the problem of food waste and encourage the growth of entrepreneurship among women.
Use of new technology has also helped in reducing waste. Pune-based Farmpal (an agri-tech startup) is implementing artificial intelligence (AI) to help improve the supply chain and connect farmers directly with buyers; by predicting demand, determining the quality of produce, and determining suitable harvest conditions based on weather analysis, it is enabling farmers to know how much to harvest and the expected price. This has resulted in reducing waste in the supply chain by about 25%, and giving farmers better incomes and buyers fresher produce. These types of solutions illustrate how technology can positively influence traditional methods of agriculture.
In order to make progress toward these goals, it is important that India implements the Target-Measure-Act Framework established by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) for reducing food waste in half by the year 2030. Establishing clear national targets for the reduction of food waste within the country is critical. In addition, consistent measuring of food waste will be necessary for households, retail, and food service. Solutions for reducing waste and emissions will require improvements in the cold storage and transportation sectors, as well as composting and redistributing food products. Finally, increased consumer engagement and knowledge around purchasing only what is needed, proper storage techniques, and creative uses for leftover food items will play a large role.
India has introduced several initiatives addressing food security, organic waste, and sustainable farming practices, but these efforts remain siloed. The National Food Security Act (NFSA) and PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana address food distribution, while schemes like PM-KISAN and PM Fasal Bima Yojana support farmer welfare. However, none of these explicitly address circularity or food loss prevention across the agri-value chain.
The National Mission on Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) promotes practices such as precision farming, soil health management, and the use of organic inputs. Yet, there is limited integration of food waste recovery, nutrient recycling, or agri-waste-based entrepreneurship. The Soil Health Card Scheme focuses on fertilizer efficiency, but not on the integration of compost. Similarly, while MNRE’s biogas schemes support small-scale digesters, the uptake of community-level bio-CNG units and composting solutions remains low.
The National Bio-Energy Programme (2022) and the SATAT (Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation) initiative support compressed biogas production; however, these remain mostly at an industrial scale and do not address decentralised agri-waste valorisation.
The Food Corporation of India (FCI) handles large volumes of procurement and storage; however, transparency in food loss data and warehouse efficiency remains limited. Moreover, food waste is governed under the Solid Waste Management Rules (2016), which only partially regulate large institutions and municipalities.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has launched the “Save Food, Share Food” campaign providing businesses with the tools necessary to donate safe surplus food. The Eat Right India Movement is designed to encourage composting of and segregating kitchen waste from other trash. The NITI Aayog has pointed out the need for improved collection methods of data through comprehensive and coordinated surveys, while also calling for improved postharvest infrastructure. Organizations like WRI India and the Champions 12.3 Global Alliance are leading efforts to get farmers and retailers working together to track products comprehensively from the farm to their distribution point.
Despite all these policies, India lacks a unified circular agri-food strategy or framework that connects stakeholders across agriculture, food processing, municipal waste, and energy sectors. Most efforts remain at the pilot level, with no national mandates for measuring, reporting, or designing circular systems in food production, packaging, or distribution. India needs a platform that can consolidate efforts from different players including:
Evidence-based policymaking generating and disseminating reliable data and insights to guide effective national and state-level strategies.
Leverage Innovation and Technology to design and scale solution-oriented approaches that address systemic gaps in storage, logistics, processing, and consumer behaviour.
Catalyze transformative partnerships that enable scalable and replicable models for reducing food waste across states and sectors.
Advance India’s Leadership on Global Goals by contributing meaningfully to SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), and SDG 13 (Climate Action).
Implementation of pilot interventions showcasing measurable waste reduction using innovative and technology-driven solutions (cold chain, packaging, consumer engagement tools, etc.).
Establishment of a national repository of best practices, case studies, and data accessible to all stakeholders for scaling impact.
Research Intern
International Council for Circular Economy