Reducing food loss and food waste presents an opportunity to address multiple issues associated with food systems. This includes food security, carbon emissions and stakeholders’ incomes along the value chain. While several government schemes and policies in India focus on strengthening post-harvest management of crops to tackle food loss, far more attention is needed on food waste. The challenge of reducing both loss and food waste requires ambitious action by multiple stakeholders along the supply chain, from producer to consumer. It calls for context-specific interventions that are implemented at policy, infrastructure, capacity building, technology and behavioural level.

Linked to the concept of food loss and food waste is a newly emerging concept, especially in the context of developing countries – that of nutrition loss and nutrition waste. Nutrition loss occurs due to improper handling, storage and processing of food and agri commodities. Nutrition waste occurs primarily due to malabsorption of nutrients because of gastroenteric diseases resulting from poor hygiene. Unlike nutrition loss, this needs to be addressed through public health and social measures like Water and Sanitation Hygiene (WASH).

It is therefore vital to analyse the existing knowledge and practices in this sector. Through its core partners, FOLU India works with public and private sector to inspire collective action towards strengthening food and nutrition security.