Despite technological advances and sufficient food production, one in three people globally lacks access to proper nutrition, with around 800 million going to bed hungry each night. Poor diets are now the leading risk factor for global disease, surpassing the combined impacts of drugs, tobacco, and alcohol.
Women and children are especially affected, with 156 million stunted children in the world, two-fifths of women anaemic, and millions facing malnutrition.
To address these issues, the third target of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12 aims to halve global food waste and reduce losses along the supply chain. The Food and Agriculture Organisation estimates global food loss at $1 trillion, enough to feed those hungry, particularly in countries like India, which produces enough food for its population of 1.3 billion.
The SDGs have spotlighted food loss and waste, and we are beginning to see more attentive discussion on the subject. At the recently held Food Congress in Dusseldorf in early May 2017, the focus was on identifying possible solutions through better farming practices, the use of technology, better information, changes in consumer behaviour, etc. Estimates of "food waste and food loss" range between 30% and 50% for developed and emerging countries.
Due to poor infrastructure, food waste is prevalent at home in developed nations and during harvesting and transport in developing countries. In India, inadequate cold storage contributes to significant food loss, emphasising the need for investment in this area. This wastage squanders resources, depletes nutrition, and affects the economy, with a 40% food loss of about $7.5 billion. The Global Nutrition Report 2016 has highlighted India's overall tardy progress in addressing chronic undernutrition, manifest in stunting (low weight for age), wasting (low weight for height) and micronutrient deficiency or "hidden hunger".
India, home to a quarter of the world's undernourished, faces challenges in workforce productivity and economic potential. To enhance agricultural growth, India must increase investment in research, diversify crops, and adopt technological innovations. Addressing food loss through better infrastructure, information systems, and public-private partnerships is crucial for transforming the agricultural landscape and improving food security.
