WASTAGE OF FOOD IN INDIA AND WORLD

Food waste or food loss is food material that is discarded or unable to be used.
Various political organisations and entities have their own definition of what
constitutes food waste. The causes of wasted food are numerous, and occur at the
stages of production, processing, retailing and consumption.
As of 2013 it is estimated that half of all food is wasted worldwide, according the
British Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IME). Loss and wastage occurs at all
stages of the food supply chain or value chain. In low-income countries, most loss
occurs during production, while in developed countries much food about 100
kilograms (220 lb) per person per year is wasted at the consumption stage.
WASTAGE IN INDIA
Despite millions of Indians going to bed on a hungry stomach, the country
is letting food worth a whopping Rs 44,000 crore go waste each year due
to lack of adequate storage infrastructure.
Food wastage cripples a countrys economy to an extent that most of us are
unaware. In India where we have considered ourselves as a developing nation for
the last 60 years, food wastage cripples us a lot more. About 20% of what we buy in
urban India ends up being thrown away.

While India and other developing nations struggle to feed all the population,
its an irony that this much of food is wasted and not a lot of people know
about this.
This is not just a matter of a few lakhs of rupees. If food is wasted, there is so
much waste of water used in agriculture, manpower and electricity lost in
food processing industries and even contributes to so much of deforestation
that occurs because of this sector.
Taking the above into consideration, the actual worth of money per year in
India from food wastage comes to a whopping 58,000 crore.
According to a survey by bhook (an organization working towards reducing
hunger) in 2013, 20 crore Indians will sleep hungry at any given night. About
7 million children died in 2012 because of hunger / malnutrition.
The urban Indian is increasingly wasting more food over the years and
recently contributing to about 35% of all food wasted in India.

While the wasted fruits and vegetables alone was estimated at Rs 13,300 crore,
other food products like rice, wheat, serials and meat are also allowed to perish
without consumption.
India produces around 250 million tonne of foodgrain in a year, but its annual
consumption remains far lower at 220 million to 225 million tonne. The country has

failed to take advantage of the higher production levels as it is reported that more
than 250 million people go to bed hungry each day.

Five things we can do in our daily life to stop food wastage.

Make it a habit not to waste any food in your plate while you have your food
be in breakfast, lunch or dinner. Make it a point to absolutely stick to it no
matter how the food tastes or was served in the first place.
If you cook at home, make sure you cook keeping in mind there is no excess.
You can always complete your lunch / dinner with a few fruits rather than
keep some extra food in the refrigerator its a lot better and a healthier
practice.
If you cook at home, make sure your select your vegetables , cerials and
others in the order of their shelf life. Just means, if you had spinach in your
refrigerator for a while longer than other vegetables take care to use
spinach. The more you keep it, you possibly wont use it later.
If you work in a company / office that has a canteen check with them on
how they manage excess food. Cooked food, especially since it has a low
shelf life needs to be managed better and faster. Check with NGOs who offer
to transport excess food to the needy.
If you host a family get together either at home, a marriage hall or throw a
party at a hotel make sure you plan for the food to be transported to a place
like an orphanage / old age shelter. There is no better thing than sharing your
happiness with these people as well.

WASTAGE GLOBALLY
The impact of food waste is not just financial. Environmentally, food waste leads to
wasteful use of chemicals such as fertilizers and pesticides; more fuel used for
transportation; and more rotting food, creating more methane one of the most
harmful greenhouse gases that contributes to climate change. Methane is 23 times
more potent than CO2 as a greenhouse gas. The vast amount of food going to
landfills makes a significant contribution to global warming.

Roughly one third of the food produced in the world for human consumption
every year approximately 1.3 billion tonnes gets lost or wasted.

Every year, consumers in rich countries waste almost as much food (222
million tonnes) as the entire net food production of sub-Saharan Africa (230
million tonnes).

The amount of food lost or wasted every year is equivalent to more than half
of the world's annual cereals crop (2.3 billion tonnes in 2009/2010).

Food loss and waste also amount to a major squandering of resources,

including water, land, energy, labour and capital and needlessly produce
greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to global warming and climate
change.

In developing countries food waste and losses occur mainly at early stages of
the food value chain and can be traced back to financial, managerial and
technical constraints in harvesting techniques as well as storage and cooling
facilities. Thus, a strengthening of the supply chain through the support
farmers and investments in infrastructure, transportation, as well as in an
expansion of the food and packaging industry could help to reduce the
amount of food loss and waste.

In medium- and high-income countries food is wasted and lost mainly at later
stages in the supply chain. Differing from the situation in developing
countries, the behavior of consumers plays a huge part in industrialized
countries. Moreover, the study identified a lacking coordination between
actors in the supply chain as a contributing factor. Farmer-buyer agreements
can be helpful to increase the level of coordination. Additionally, raising
awareness among industries, retailers and consumers as well as finding
beneficial use for save food that is presently thrown away are useful
measures to decrease the amount of losses and waste.

In the United States 30% of all food, worth US$48.3 billion (32.5 billion), is
thrown away each year. It is estimated that about half of the water used to
produce this food also goes to waste, since agriculture is the largest human
use of water. (Jones, 2004 cited in Lundqvist et al., 2008)

United Kingdom households waste an estimated 6.7 million tonnes of food

every year, around one third of the 21.7 million tonnes purchased. This
means that approximately 32% of all food purchased per year is not eaten.
Most of this (5.9 million tonnes or 88%) is currently collected by local
authorities. Most of the food waste (4.1 million tonnes or 61%) is avoidable
and could have been eaten had it been better managed (WRAP, 2008; Knight
and Davis, 2007).

In the USA, organic waste is the second highest component of landfills, which
are the largest source of methane emissions.

FRAMEWORK FOR FOODSERVICE SUSTAINABILITY

Food - What we buy and from whom. This includes local sourcing, organics,
fair trade products, cruelty-free options and avoidance of toxics.

Solid Waste - Food & packaging. This includes food waste, to-go containers,
service ware and the packaging manufacturers use in shipping and packaging
our supplies.

Water - Usage and emissions. This includes water conservation and water
pollution, with particular attention to how we choose green chemicals.

Energy - Equipment and buildings. This includes efforts to procure energyefficient equipment as well as green building projects (i.e. LEED
certifications).

People - Outreach and social equity. This includes efforts to educate and raise
awareness about sustainable living, as well as initiatives to ensure that
everything we do in foodservice is fair to the people touched by our
operations (e.g. fair wages and healthcare benefits).

FOOD WASTE MANAGEMENT

Why does food waste management matter?

Save Money - Waste reduction allows you to save money on commodities,

labor, energy and disposal costs. When you consider that 4-10% of the food
you purchase will become pre-consumer waste before ever reaching a guest,
it becomes clear that waste reduction should be one of the first and easiest
ways to control costs (and hedge food cost inflation).

Help the Environment - Waste leads to significant carbon emissions. In the

case of food waste, farm inputs, transportation and storage each require
petroleum inputs. And landfill disposal often leads to production of methane
gas, a greenhouse gas which is over 20 times more potent than carbon
dioxide. By reducing foodservice waste, you can make a real environmental
difference.

Community Engagement - Engage staff, guests and community members by

showing that waste reduction is achievable and makes a positive difference
for all of us.

IDEAS TO REDUCE, REUSE & RECYCLE FOOD WASTE

Starting Points

Conduct an audit of consumer waste (overproduction, expired, trim waste,

spoilage, contamination, overcooked, etc.) to determine a baseline.

Remember, pre-consumer waste can occur at any point prior to selling food,
from the point when you receive product, through prep and production, to
service whether it be on a hot line, a deli area or a salad bar.
Most people don't realize how much food they throw away every day from
uneaten leftovers to spoiled produce. More than 96 percent of the food we throw
away ends up in landfills. In 2011, we landfilled more than 36 million tons of food
waste. Once in landfills, food breaks down to produce methane, a potent
greenhouse gas which contributes to climate change.
Benefits of Reducing Wasted Food

Saves money from buying less food.

Reduces methane emissions from landfills and lowers your carbon

footprint.

Conserves energy and resources, preventing pollution involved in the

growing, manufacturing, transporting, and selling food (not to mention
hauling the food waste and then landfilling it).

Supports your community by providing donated untouched food that

would have otherwise gone to waste to those who might not have a steady
food supply.

Ways to Reduce Wasted Food

Shop your refrigerator first! Cook or eat what you already have at home
before buying more.

Plan your menu before you go shopping and buy only those things on your
menu.

Buy only what you realistically need and will use. Buying in bulk only saves
money if you are able to use the food before it spoils.

Be creative! If safe and healthy, use the edible parts of food that you
normally do not eat. For example, stale bread can be used to make croutons
and beet tops can be sauted for a delicious side dish.

Nutritious, safe, and untouched food can be donated to food banks to help
those in need.

Freeze, preserve, or can surplus fruits and vegetables - especially abundant

seasonal produce.

At restaurants, order only what you can finish by asking about portion sizes
and be aware of side dishes included with entrees. Take home the leftovers
and keep them for your next meal.

At all-you-can-eat buffets, take only what you can eat.

Compost food scraps rather than throwing them away.

Food Waste Reduction/Minimization

Pre-Consumer Food Waste

Establish tracking/control systems (such as LeanPaths automated food waste

tracking system) to measure pre-consumer food waste on an ongoing basis.
Determine greatest areas of loss to waste.
Establish staff action teams to review waste data, set waste minimization
goals and develop revised procedures, policies or menus. Discuss waste at
some point every day and at a team meeting at least weekly.
Review menus to identify and reduce/eliminate frequently wasted items.
Pre-plan secondary uses for certain menu items in the case of
overproduction, paying close attention to food safety guidelines.

Post-Consumer Food Waste

Review portion sizes. Are your guests eating all of the food youre serving?
Managers should monitor staff compliance with portioning standards and
proper service methods (spoon size, slice count, ounces, etc.).
Conduct a Waste Awareness Drive with both staff and guests. Part of this
drive may also involve a suggestion box for additional ideas and new
concepts, which may lead to additional waste reduction ideas.

Food Waste Reuse

Participate in a food recovery/donation program to re-use product safely. Food

Waste Recycling/Composting
Discuss a collection program for pre-consumer and post-consumer food waste
with your local hauler. If available, begin separating compostable food waste
for pick-up by the off-site composter.
If a local off-site option is not available, evaluate on-site composting solutions
such as waste digesters or dehydrators

Food waste is an enormous problem that costs us money, drives up food prices,
depletes environmental resources like water and land, and is just downright
unnecessary.

But there is hope, my friends. There are tons of ways that you can reduce food
waste in the kitchen that will save you time, money and your appetite.
1. Dont toss food scraps. Save the trimmed ends or peelings of vegetables
like celery, carrots, onions, mushrooms and potatoes in your freezer. Once
youve got a big pile, throw them all in a pot, cover them with water and
make homemade vegetable stock. And for the meat eaters, save the bones of
chicken or fish to make stock, too.
2. Love your leftovers. We know that variety is the spice of life, but
sometimes you just need to make do with what you already have. Find ways
to switch up yesterdays meal make mashed potatoes into hash brown
patties, add leftover grains and beans to a soup or stew, or toss that tempeh
into a sandwich. Heres a handy website where you can plug in your leftover
ingredients and find great ways to use them. (Try this pate recipe made from
juice pulp!)
3. Make a shopping list. Its great to be spontaneous and flow with whatever
kitchen vibes inspire you. Its also great to plan your meals ahead of time and
know what ingredients you need in the right quantities, so cooking will be a
breeze. Need some help? Check out our classes for inspiration.
4. Buy what you need. Buying five avocados for the price of two is only a
bargain if youll actually use all of them before they go bad. Dont purchase
things simply because they are on sale or the bulk price is cheaper, unless
the items are ones that will last awhile, for example beans and grains.
5. Get your kitchen organized. Take stock before you shop so you dont buy
something you already have, move older produce to the front of the fridge so
youll use it first, keep an eye on expiry dates and make sure you have plenty
of tupperware in case you need to toss something in the freezer. In other
words, keep it together. Here are some quick tips for organizing your fridge.
6. Learn how to make food last. We like things that last longer, dont we
(wink, wink)? But seriously, folks, if you find that things in your fridge always
go bad quickly it could be due to the way youre storing it. Many veggies last
longer if you plunk them in a container of water, while herbs stay fresher if
you pop them in a mason jar, wrap them with a recycled plastic bag and
secure them with a rubber band. Not everything has to go in the fridge,
either. Tomatoes, onions, garlic and root veggies can all be stored on your
counter. Prep veggies as soon as you get home from the grocery store, and
keep them in cute nifty glass food containers!
7. The freezer is your friend. Leftover soups, stews, salsas, curries and
sauces all store well in glass jars in the freezer. Freeze fruits on a parchmentlined baking sheet and then store them in sealed containers. Pulverize stale

bread and freeze your new breadcrumbs. Use those ice cube trays for more
than just water stuff them with pestos or vegetable stock instead, so you
can pop one into your cooking later for an extra hit of flavour. The nice thing
about storing food in the freezer is youll have instant frozen meals for when
youre in a hurry!
8. Learn the art of pickling, canning and preserving. You dont need to get
all fancy with your preservation methods. Check out Meghans quick vid on
how to make sauerkraut and other fermented foods, or make a huge batch of
jam at the end of the summer and stick it in the freezer.
9. Dont buy cheap food. Most people will rush out to buy the latest cell
phone technology, but balk at paying more than 49 cents a pound for apples.
We live in a culture that believes food should be cheap, and when we dont
value our food its easier to toss it. Buying good quality, organic food means
you might make more of an effort to use it.
10.Compost. When you feel youve exhausted every option, put your food
waste in your compost pile. Make an effort for this to be your last resort, not
your first.
Waste Not Your Action Plan
AT THE STORE
1. Shop smart. Plan meals, use grocery lists, and avoid impulse buys. This way,
youre less likely to buy things you dont need and that youre unlikely to actually
consume. Buy items only when you have a plan for using them, and wait until
perishables are all used up before buying more. Check out these apps for extra-easy
meal planning.
2. Buy exactly what you need. For example, if a recipe calls for two carrots, dont
buy a whole bag. Instead, buy loose produce so you can purchase the exact number
youll use. Likewise, try buying grains, nuts, and spices from bulk bins so you can
measure out exactly what you need and dont over-buy (Just note that there's a
difference between buying in bulk and buying from bulk bins; the first one can
actually create more waste if we buy more than we can realistically use). Bonus:
This tip will save some cash, to boot.
3. Be realistic. If you live alone, you wont need the same number of apples as a
family of four (unless you really like apples). If you rarely cook, dont stock up on
goods that have to be cooked in order to be consumed (such as baking supplies or
dried grains and beans).
4. Buy funny-looking produce. Many fruits and vegetables are thrown away
because their size, shape, or colors dont quite match what we think these items
should look like. But for the most part these items are perfectly good to eat, and

buying them at a farmers market or the grocery store helps use up food that might
otherwise be tossed.
5. Have a Plan B. Lets say you buy Camembert to make a fancy dish for that
fancy dinner party and then the dinner party is canceled. Dont toss the cheese!
Instead, come up with a backup recipe and use it in a different dish (or just eat it
plain, because cmon its cheese).
AT HOME
6. Practice FIFO. It stands for First In, First Out. When unpacking groceries, move
older products to the front of the fridge/freezer/pantry and put new products in the
back. This way, youre more likely to use up the older stuff before it expires.
7. Monitor what you throw away. Designate a week in which you write down
everything you throw out on a regular basis. Tossing half a loaf of bread each week?
Maybe its time to start freezing half that loaf the moment you buy it so it doesnt
go stale before youre able to eat it.
8. Take stock. Note upcoming expiration dates on foods you already have at home,
and plan meals around the products that are closest to their expiration. On a similar
note, keep a list of whats in the freezer and when each item was frozen. Place this
on the freezer door for easy reference and use items before they pass their prime.
9. Designate one dinner each week as a use-it-up meal. Instead of cooking
a new meal, look around in the cupboards and fridge for leftovers and other food
that might otherwise get overlooked.
10. Eat leftovers! Brown-bag them for work or school for a free packed lunch. If
you dont want to eat leftovers the day after theyre cooked, freeze and save them
for later (just remember to note when you froze them so you can use them up in a
timely fashion).
11. Use it all. When cooking, use every piece of whatever food youre cooking with,
whenever possible. For example, leave the skin on cucumbers and potatoes, saut
broccoli stems along with the florets (they taste good too; we promise!), and so on.
Bonus: Skins and stems often have provide additional nutrients for our bodies.
12. Store better. If you regularly throw away stale chips/cereal/crackers/etc., try
storing them in airtight containers this should help them keep longer (or, of
course, just buy fewer of these products).
13. Repurpose leftovers scraps. Use vegetable and meat scraps in homemade
stocks, and use citrus fruit rinds and zest to add flavor to other meals. Want more
ideas? Check out these resources for using up food scraps.
14. Check the fridge. Make sure its functioning at maximum efficiency. Look for
tight seals, proper temperature, etc. this will ensure that the fridge keeps food
fresh as long as possible.

15. Preserve produce. Produce doesnt have to be tossed just because its
reaching the end of its peak. Soft fruit can be used in smoothies; wilting vegetables
can be used in soups, etc. And both wilting fruits and veggies can be turned into
delicious, nutritious juice.
16. Donate what you wont use. Never going to eat that can of beans? Donate it
to a food kitchen before it expires so it can be consumed by someone who needs it.
Check out this resource to locate a food bank near you.
17. Donate the gross stuff, too! Many farmers happily accept food scraps for
feeding pigs or adding to a compost heap. To find farms near you, check out one of
these resources.
18. Store food properly in the fridge. Learn how and where to store specific
products in the fridge, and theyre likely to keep longer (hint: they dont call it the
produce drawer for nothin!).
19. Store things properly in the freezer. Same as above: How and where we
store products in the freezer makes a difference in how long theyll last.
20. Can it. Got more fruit than you know what to do with? Try canning it so itll last
for months to come. (Plus, who doesnt love eating fresh peaches in winter?)
21. Pickle it. Both fruits and vegetables can be preserved through an easy pickling
process.
22. Understand expiration dates. Turns out those expiration dates dont always
have to do with food safety; rather, theyre usually manufacturers suggestions for
peak quality. If stored properly, most foods (even meat) stay fresh several days past
the use-by date. If a food looks, smells, and tastes okay, it should be fine. If any of
these elements are off, then its time to toss it.
23. Compost! Hate potato skins? Dont feel like turning wilted vegetables into soup
stock? No worries; food scraps still dont need to be tossed. Just start a compost pile
in the backyard or even under the sink, and convert food waste into a useful
resource.
DURING MEALTIME
24. Check in with your belly. Here it is, ladies and gentlemen: The solution to the
clean your plate! issue. Simply take a moment to ask your body what it wants to
eat, and how much and then serve yourself that. Or simply start with less food on
your plate. If you want more, you can always go back for it but this way you wont
find out that youre full and still have a heap of food in front of you. In fact, one
study found that reducing portion sizes is an easy way to reduce food waste.
25. Split the dish. If eating out, split a dish with a friend so you dont waste half of
the giant portion sizes found at many restaurants.

26. Take home leftovers. Even if youre not into splitting meals, those portion
sizes dont have to be wasted. Just ask to take leftovers home (bonus eco points if
you bring your own reusable container!), and youve got yourself a free lunch the
next day.
27. Share. Made a quadruple recipe of a casserole you ended up disliking? Gift it to
friends, family, or neighbors theyre likely to be grateful for the saved money and
time.
28. Go trayless. When eating in a cafeteria, skip the tray. Doing so is associated
with a reduction in food waste, possibly because its harder for people to carry more
food than they can actually eat.
29. Educate other people. Sure, nobody likes a Debbie Downer at the dinner
table. But turns out simply being aware of the issue of food waste can help make
people more attentive to wasting less.