Food waste is a massive obstacle faced in different parts of the world. In a vast country like India where there are authentic and unique dishes to relish everywhere, the amount of food waste is enormous as well. In the humongous spread of food availability in most places, there are many suffering from hunger regularly. Even though we hear so much about food getting wasted in the country, there is a huge section of people who go to sleep without having proper meals.
Food Waste In India Is Vastly Concerning
Not one or two but multiple factors are responsible for a noticeable amount of food getting simply thrown away every single day. According to a report by Equinox Labs, India wastes about 68.7 million tonnes of food in a year. Now that’s a shockingly huge number. Taking population into consideration, each person wastes about 50 kg annually. This peeks into the harsh side of food supply chains and how people struggle to get food even after so much goes to waste.
One of the biggest contributors to food waste in India is Indian households. We often buy groceries and food items in huge quantities and do not store them properly. After a few weeks, we end up throwing them. Another reason is improper meal planning leading to wasting food. All the restaurants, cafes, dhabas, and eateries contribute awfully to discarding a significant amount of food waste.
Many vendors and sellers do not sell unappealing fruits and vegetables and all these end up getting dumped. A percentage of food items get spoilt during transportation as well. All these issues are faced every day and these end up creating heaps of millions of tonnes of waste.
Can This Problem Be Solved EVER?
People need to start focusing on implementing steps and procedures to be cautious about managing food, be it during transportation, buying, or cooking. Equinox Labs shared some helpful points that can contribute to controlling the situation.
- The government needs to invest in infrastructure and influence people to take sustainable steps.
- They can also focus on promoting advanced technology to ensure proper food storage, thus reducing the chances of throwing food away.
- Each chain of the food industry is required to be mindful and use improved inventory management steps.
- Customers can purchase their necessities from local producers.
- Knowing properly about the right ways to store food is important.
Lastly, all of us need to be aware of all that’s happening around us. It is now important to be curious enough to not just notice the issues but put efforts to resolve them too.
Also read: Can Treated Wastewater Be the Answer To Bengaluru’s Water Crisis?
Food waste is a worrisome problem in India and everyone needs to actively be a part of saving the food from getting discarded.
Cover Image Courtesy: Canva
For more such snackable content, interesting discoveries and the latest updates on food, travel and experiences in your city, download the Curly Tales App. Download HERE.