Tackling Food Loss for Food and Climate Security UPSC NOTE

Tackling Food Loss for Food and Climate Security

Prelims: Indian Economy (Agriculture, Food Processing, Public Distribution System - PDS, NABARD); Environment (Climate Change, Greenhouse Gas - GHG emissions, Sustainable Development Goals - SDGs); Government Schemes (PMKSY).
Mains:

General Studies Paper 3 (Economy/Agriculture/Environment): Food processing and related industries in India—scope and significance, location, upstream and downstream requirements, supply chain management; Economics of animal-rearing; Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, climate change. This is a quintessential GS3 topic.

One-third of the food produced globally is lost or wasted. September 29 is observed as the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste.
In India, Post-harvest losses lead to an economic loss of ₹1.5 trillion annually.
Difference between India and Developed Countries: In India, most losses occur at the beginning of the supply chain (storage, processing, distribution), indicating a lack of infrastructure. In developed countries, losses primarily occur at the consumer level.
Climate Connection: Food loss contributes to Greenhouse Gas (GHG emissions) and climate change. Loss of grains like rice is particularly detrimental due to methane emissions.
Solutions:

Strengthen infrastructure like cold chains. Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana (PMKSY) is an example.
Make affordable technologies like solar cold storage available for small farmers.
Adopt circular economy approaches such as donating surplus food to food banks and generating energy from waste.

Solving this problem requires a shared responsibility from government, industry, civil society, and consumers.

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