Reducing food waste is essential to advancing food security, climate action, and resilient food systems, as widespread waste reflects systemic failures across supply chains and consumption patterns
Each year on 30 March, the world marks the International Day of Zero Waste, a relatively new but rapidly growing global observance that draws attention to one of the most paradoxical failures of modern food systems: waste amid want. In 2026, the focus turns to food waste — a theme that is as urgent as it is uncomfortable. At a time when hunger and malnutrition persist across regions, the scale of edible food waste reflects systemic inefficiencies that extend far beyond individual behaviour, implicating supply chains, policy frameworks, and consumption norms.
According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)’s Food Waste Index Report 2024, an estimated 1.05 billion tonnes of food were wasted globally in 2022, accounting for nearly 19 percent of food available at the consumer level. This waste spans households (60 percent), food service (28 percent), and retail (12 percent), underscoring that inefficiencies are distributed across the system. At the same time, the Food and Agriculture Organization reports that around 733 million people faced hunger in 2023, with food insecurity worsening across many parts of the Global South. The coexistence of widespread hunger and large-scale food waste highlights a profound disconnect, challenging the very foundations of food security discourse.
The coexistence of widespread hunger and large-scale food waste highlights a profound disconnect, challenging the very foundations of food security discourse.
Food waste is not merely a moral or economic issue; it is also an environmental one. If food waste were a country, it would rank among the largest greenhouse gas emitters globally, contributing approximately 8–10 percent of total anthropogenic emissions. Decomposing food in landfills releases methane, a greenhouse gas with a global warming potential 28 times higher than CO₂ over 100 years. In this sense, reducing food waste is central to climate action and aligns with commitments under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement.
The 2026 theme also directly advances the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 12, particularly Target 12.3, which calls for halving global food waste at the retail and consumer levels by 2030 (UN, 2015). However, progress remains uneven. The UNEP 2024 report highlights that while some high-income countries have implemented regulatory frameworks such as mandatory food waste reporting and redistribution laws, many low- and middle-income countries face persistent structural constraints, including limited cold-chain infrastructure and fragmented supply chains.
In India, the paradox is especially pronounced. As one of the world’s largest food producers, the country has achieved significant gains in agricultural output. Yet food waste, particularly post-harvest losses, remains substantial. Estimates indicate that India loses between 30 and 40 percent of its food production annually, especially in perishable commodities such as fruits and vegetables. Post-harvest losses in major crops alone account for INR 1.53 trillion annually, reflecting inefficiencies in storage, transportation, and processing.
If food waste were a country, it would rank among the largest greenhouse gas emitters globally, contributing approximately 8–10 percent of total anthropogenic emissions.
These losses are both economic and nutritional. For India, where 35.5 percent of children under five are stunted, and 57 percent of women are anaemic, food waste translates into lost opportunities to improve dietary diversity and nutrient intake. As the Global Nutrition Report 2024 emphasises, food systems must be evaluated not only by productivity but also by their ability to deliver affordable, diverse, and nutritious diets. It is within this context that the concept of Shiology, the ‘study of food and eating’, becomes analytically useful. Moving beyond production-centric metrics, Shiology foregrounds the cultural, behavioural, and systemic dimensions of how food is valued, consumed, and discarded.
Beyond households, institutional and commercial food environments contribute significantly to waste. Studies suggest that consumer-level waste is rising in urban India, driven by changing dietary patterns, portion sizes, and food service practices. Meanwhile, inadequate cold storage capacity, lack of infrastructure, and improper storage continue to drive spoilage of perishable commodities.
Emerging pathways, including circular economy approaches, food recovery networks, and innovations in supply chain logistics, are gaining traction. In India, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has launched initiatives such as “Save Food, Share Food, Share Joy”, encouraging businesses and individuals to channel surplus food to those in need. However, scaling these solutions requires systemic alignment. Policy instruments such as tax incentives for food donation, standardised date labelling, and investments in cold-chain infrastructure are critical. Integrating food waste reduction into climate strategies, urban planning, and nutrition missions can generate co-benefits across sectors. For instance, reducing food loss can improve resource-use efficiency, lower emissions, and enhance food availability without additional production pressure.
Reducing food loss and waste represents a strategic entry point for reconfiguring food systems.
Reducing food loss and waste represents a strategic entry point for reconfiguring food systems. It calls for a shift from linear “take-make-dispose” models towards circular, regenerative approaches that value food across its lifecycle. As resource constraints intensify and climate variability disrupts production systems, minimising waste becomes essential to resilience. Ultimately, ending food waste is about restoring balance between production and consumption, efficiency and equity, and human needs and planetary boundaries. It is about ensuring that the food we produce fulfils its primary purpose: to nourish people.
Shoba Suri is a Senior Fellow with the Health Initiative at the Observer Research Foundation.
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Dr. Shoba Suri is a Senior Fellow with ORFs Health Initiative. Shoba is a nutritionist with experience in community and clinical research. She has worked on nutrition, ...
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