ABSTRACT

Food waste is a significant issue globally, with over 25% of food produced being lost or wasted each year. This has a severe impact on the environment, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions, land degradation, and biodiversity loss. Various factors contribute to food wastage, including poor farming methods, storage facilities, overproduction, and consumer behaviour. To reduce food waste, improved agricultural practices, better storage and transportation, innovative packaging, and consumer education are essential. By addressing these factors, we can reduce our ecological footprint and move towards a more sustainable and responsible food system.

INTRODUCTION

According to estimates from the World Food Programme, about 780 million people worldwide suffer from chronic hunger at the moment. An estimated 9 million people, including 3.1 million children, are said to die from starvation each year. However, at the same time, over 25% of the food produced worldwide is lost or squandered for various reasons. An estimated 222 million tonnes of food are wasted annually in  industrialised nations. Sub-Saharan Africa produces 230 million tonnes of food annually, which is only somewhat more than the total. Food wastage, encompasses both food loss and food waste. Food Loss is defined as “all the crop and livestock human-edible commodity quantities that, directly or indirectly, completely exit the post-harvest/slaughter production/supply chain up to, and excluding, the retail level”. Food waste index report defines “food waste” as “food and the associated inedible parts removed from the human food supply chain”. The excessive quantity of food waste is a significant barrier to sustainability. Every year, it generates 4.4 gigatons of carbon dioxide, or about 8% of the emissions of greenhouse gases which is almost five times the total emissions from the aviation sector. When food waste decomposes in landfills, it releases large amounts of methane, a gas that has the potential to cause 25 times more global warming than carbon dioxide (CO2). This excludes the usage of fossil fuels, which contribute directly to climate change, in the generation of food waste.

Causes of Food Wastage

Food waste is a complicated problem that arises at many points in the food supply chain. Crop losses in agriculture are caused by poor farming methods, erratic weather patterns, and pest infestations. Spoilage occurs after harvest due to inadequate storage facilities, bad transit infrastructure, and perishable items in particular. Overproduction and antiquated methods of processing and packing lead to food waste from
excess inventory. Perfectly edible produce that doesn't satisfy aesthetic standards is frequently thrown away by retailers, and uncertainty between use-by and sell-by dates sometimes results in premature disposal. Food waste is mostly caused by customer mistakes like misreading expiration labels, overspending, and inadequate meal planning. The problem is further made worse by cultural elements like lack of awareness and economic prosperity.

Impact of Food Waste on Environment

1. Wastage of environmental resources: Food waste can have a variety of negative effects on the environment. Food waste also wastes the natural resources—fuel, water, and energy—that were utilised in its production. The Natural Resources Defence Council (NRDC) established that food waste ends up wasting a quarter of our water supply in the form of uneaten food. That’s equated to USD$172billion in wasted water. Consequently, the production of food that is wasted uses up to 21% of freshwater, 19% of fertilisers, 18% of cropland, and 21% of landfill space.
2. Impact on climate change: When food is left to rot in our landfills, it subsequently releases methane, a powerful greenhouse gas twenty-five times stronger than carbon dioxide. When methane is released, it lingers for 12 years and traps heat from the sun. Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research found that a third of all human-contributed greenhouse gas emissions are from food waste. If food waste were a country, its greenhouse gas emissions would be the third largest in the world, following the US and China.
3. Land degradation: Our irresponsible use of food products has an adverse impact on the physical land itself. There are two ways in which we waste land. The land we use for producing the food, and the land we used for dumping the food. 11.5 million hectares of land are used for agriculture. 900 million hectares of non-agricultural land are used by livestock for meat and dairy production. These statistics show that there is too much pressure on the soil to produce food, and if we are not careful in the future, due to the severe erosion of the soil, the ability of crops to grow will decrease.
4. Impact on biodiversity: Biodiversity simply refers to the different species and organisms that make up an environment’s ecosystem. Agriculture in general destroys our biodiversity. Agriculture and the conversion of  our wild lands into good pastures and farmland are common practices that increase the demand for livestock. Deforestation and the conversion of our natural lands to non-agricultural areas causes native plants and animals to die and sometimes disappear. 

How to reduce food wastage

• Improved agricultural practices: Farmers can use better agricultural practices and technologies to increase yields and reduce losses. Pest management and better crop planning  can help reduce the impact of pests and weather diseases.
• Storage and transportation: Investing in proper storage facilities, such as cold storage, can greatly reduce post-harvest losses. Improved transportation infrastructure will ensure that food reaches the market quickly and in good condition.
• Improving processing methods: Food manufacturers should use good processing methods to reduce waste. The use of by-products and the implementation of good quality control can also reduce wastage.
• Innovative packaging: Using packaging to extend the shelf life of food, such as vacuum or modified atmosphere packaging, can reduce spoilage. Packaging should also be designed to protect the food from damage during transport and handling.
• Consumer education and behaviour: Educating consumers about the environmental and economic impacts of food waste can encourage smarter shopping habits and consumption. Encouraging consumers to plan meals, make shopping lists  and buy what they need will reduce food waste at home. Educating consumers about the importance of buy-by, use-by, and best-before dates can help prevent food waste. are still safe to eat.

CONCLUSION

Food waste has significant environmental impacts, including greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation and degradation of water resources. The production, transport and disposal of waste consumes a lot of energy and resources and contributes to climate change and environmental degradation. Reducing food waste is important to reduce these costs, protect natural resources and promote sustainability. By managing food waste, we can reduce our ecological footprint and move towards a sustainable and responsible food system.

REFERENCES

1. Drishti, IAS. (2024). Food waste index report 2024. Retrieved from https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/food-waste-index-report-2024
2. Earth.org (2022), Climate change, How Does Food Waste Affect the Environment? Retrieved from https://earth.org/how-does-food-waste-affect-the-environment/
3. Move for hunger (2024), The environmental impact of food waste. Retrieved from https://moveforhunger.org/the-environmental-impact-of-food-waste

The Above Paper is Written by Muskan, MSc Research Scholar, FSN Department, along with Dr. Anjali Juyal,  Guest Faculty, RMCS Department and Dr. Hemu Rathore, Professor and HOD RMCS Department at the CCAS, MPUAT, Udaipur.