Converting food waste into value a green-business model: Report

Inadequate cold-storage and transportation facilities and infrastructure challenges in the supply chain are resulting in large amounts of food in India being wasted and lost before it reaches consumers, a new report by non-profit Food Future Foundation and consulting firm Thinking Forks, noted.

The report red-flagged that the “dual challenge of waste and hunger” makes food loss and waste not just an economic issue but also an ethical, environmental and social crisis.

Pawan Agarwal, CEO of Food Future Foundation, said: “Treating food waste as a resource and not a burden could transform a challenge into a model for inclusive growth and sustainability.”


The report, ‘transforming waste into value: unlocking the potential of food waste valorisation’, said if India could extract even 20 per cent nutrients from food waste, it could recover 69 million tonnes of compounds valuing Rs 2.5 lakh crore annually.

Agarwal said: “Converting waste into valuable resources creates opportunities for economic value and social impact, a vital pillar of the circular economy, while also reducing emissions and environmental burden.”

Schemes such as Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana and GOBARdhan developed to reduce post-harvest loss and supporting composting do exist, but a lack of a national policy, target for reducing food waste and limited funding for research in the area has limited progress in this area.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), as much as 40 per cent of India’s food is lost or wasted, which makes India the second-largest generator of food waste worldwide. According to the UNEP (UN Environment Programme), the country loses close to 74 million tonnes of food every year, valued at a staggering Rs 1.52 lakh crore.

The report called out for the need for a national strategy on food loss and waste, with clearer targets, data and coordination between ministries.