Food Waste Is Lethal Than You Know

According to the UNEP Food Waste Index Report 2021, India is the second biggest food waste generator after China, wasting around seven crore tons of food every year. When food waste is dumped into the landfill sites and as it starts to rot, it produces methane, a major greenhouse gas that is 26 times more harmful than carbon dioxide. Estimates according to the United Nations suggest that 8-9% of total greenhouse emissions are associated with food waste.

 Agriculture Organization, UN) has seen a clear pattern around food wastage. Middle and higher income group countries are more likely to waste food at consumption levels, whereas developing countries are more likely to waste food due to a lack of proper nutrition infrastructure and food keeping techniques. With every food item we waste, we also waste the time, energy, water and labour required to produce it.