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Food Worth ₹92,000 Crores From Indian Households Goes To The Bin Every Year

by Suchismita Pal
Food Worth ₹92,000 Crores From Indian Households Goes To The Bin Every Year

“Do not waste your food”, is a golden lesson that Indian parents teach while bringing up their children. But despite that, nearly 40% of the food from India goes into the bin, as reported by Geetanjali Mehra of News18. This accounts for food worth an amount of nearly a whopping ₹92,000 crores. A large portion of India’s population suffers from hunger issues owing to financial hardships. Preventing food wastage can assist in solving economic as well as environmental issues in India.

Also Read: India’s First E-Waste Eco Park To Come Up In Delhi

Here’s How Food Wastage Can Be Fatal For India’s Future

If food wastage in India continues, it might give rise to the issue of food shortage, which in turn, can affect food prices. We can take a lesson from Sri Lanka. The price of 1 kg of rice has gone up to ₹220 due to food shortage amid Sri Lanka’s economic crisis. And the underprivileged population will have to bear the worst brunt of the situation. Also, increased food wastage emits methane gas in the air and leads to a dip in the levels of greenhouse gases in the environment. To stop such situations from surfacing, it is best to act right away.

Also Read: Eat, Work, Shop & Repeat At This Zero-Waste Cafe Cum Organic Store In Gurgaon

7 Easy Ways To Check Food Wastage

Here are some easy hacks to check food wastage in our daily lives:

1. Take a little less than what you think you can eat.

2. If you’re buying fruits and vegetables in bulk, ensure that you can store them properly. Try to store fruits and vegetables differently. As per reports, fruits emit a gas that can make vegetables rot faster.

3. Learn about food smart storage techniques.

4. Refrain from doing excessive shopping and do not pick up everything you love to eat in one go from the supermarket. Plan out your eating and shop.

5. If you are unable to eat whatever you ordered in a restaurant, get them packed and bring them home.

6. Do not keep perishable foods at room temperature for over 120 minutes.

7. During festivals and parties, we often get a lot of gifts from friends, relatives and acquaintances in the form of food packets. If you think that the foods received are more than the consumable quantity and might perish if stored, give them to the ones who actually need them. You can also donate them to food banks.

A little change in our habits can go a long way in bringing a big change.