Why India wastes food? And why donation isn’t the only solution

In a country that feeds over a billion people Indiarsquos food waste is a stark paradox Even as hunger and rising food prices dominate public debate food continues to be wasted at scale across supply chains restaurants and homes effecting food security the economy and the environmentThe UN Environment Programmersquos Food Waste Index Report 2024 estimates that nearly 30 per cent of global food waste comes from the food service sector placing restaurants and cafeacutes among the biggest contributors in India Our households generate around 55 kilos of food waste per person each yearThis waste persists alongside preretail losses caused by inadequate storage transport and coldchain infrastructure amplifying economic losses and greenhouse gas emissions exposing deep inefficiencies across Indiarsquos food systemFinding solutions1 Problem Treating food waste as a disposal issueFood waste is addressed at the end with either composting leftovers or donating excess This framing misses the real drivers overproduction poor planning entitlement and a disconnect from the resources behind foodSolution Design lsquopreventionrsquo inFor Dr Aarti Gautam founder of the Amulya Boondh Foundation prevention starts long before food reaches the bin ldquoThis was never about saving moneyrdquo she says ldquoMoney can be earned again Resources cannotrdquoDr Aarti Gautam bringing sustainability learning to rural classroomsShe began her work in 2015 and formalised Boondh as a Section 8 nonprofit in 2019 funding the early years entirely through personal savings teaching work family support and even her wedding jewellery ldquoThatrsquos how strongly I believed in the workrdquo she adds2 Problem Food is disconnected from resource realitiesFood waste is discussed in isolation stripped of its links to water scarcity soil health farmer labour and energy use reducing it to a disposable commoditySolution Reconnect food to water labour and landldquoWater waste comes before food wasterdquo explains Dr Gautam Training in Zero Budget Natural Farming under Padma Shri Subhash Palekar exposed her to the true cost of food ldquoOne bowl of rice represents water soil labour storage and transport We throw it away because wersquore full or bored This is the mindset that needs reworkrdquo she adds3 Problem Composting mistaken for sustainabilityComposting is used to justify overcooking and overserving because waste can be ldquomanagedrdquoSolution Treat composting as a last resortldquoComposting is the best outcome of waste not the best use of foodrdquo argues Dr Gautam ldquoIf you cook only what you need there is no waste to managerdquo she adds4 Problem Entitlement at the plateWeddings conferences and buffets encourage waste through entitlement The belief that paying permits excess and social pressure compound this with diners overloading plates to avoid having to refill and being judged as gluttonousSolution Reset behaviour at the point of consumptionldquoTake only what you can finish Go back for refills without shame Money doesnrsquot give you the right to waste and this must be ingrained early onrdquo she adds5 Problem Doggy bagsLeftover food is excused for donation turning donation into a guilt offsetSolution Redefine what donation meansldquoDonation is giving something you yourself value Like blood it doesnrsquot come back easily The same standard must apply to food Ask yourself if you would eat what yoursquore offering someone elserdquo she questions6 Problem Waste disguised as educationIn schools cooking activities and themed lunches often generate waste Children assemble dishes without understanding ingredients while parents are forced to buy excess due to fixed market quantitiesSolution Teach food literacy not performanceDr Gautam advocates practical food skills like cutting vegetables fermenting curd kneading dough that are grounded in everyday cooking7 Problem Conveniencedriven overconsumptionQuickcommerce platforms and deep discounts normalise overordering in the name of easeSolution Pair access with restraintldquoOrdering food you donrsquot need because itrsquos convenient is still waste even if itrsquos eaten later Ease must be matched with intentionrdquo she saysThe core issue Mindset not leftoversAt the heart of food waste is culture ldquoFood is a basic necessity luxury food is not The ability to buy excess has blurred the value of resources behind itrdquo she addsChange begins before the binldquoFood waste isnrsquot about leftovers It is about entitlement discrimination and forgetting the value of resources Change doesnrsquot begin in the bin it begins in the mindrdquo she concludesTackling food waste in the FampB industryIn the FampB industry waste is rarely a disposal issue It is the result of upstream decisions that include how menus are planned food is sourced and demand is predictedProblem Waste begins before serviceSolution Build prevention into operationsOverordering rigid menus and forecasting based on assumptions generate surplus early on When menus donrsquot respond to seasons or sales patterns excess becomes routine treated as an operational inconvenience rather than a design flaw Avinash Kapoli cofounder Kompnay Hospitality recommends smaller more frequent ordering seasonal menus and ingredient crossutilisation to reduce excessRanbir NagpalKitchens driven by realtime sales data stay aligned with actual demand Ranbir Singh Nagpal founder Yazu Hospitality recommends intelligent forecasting local sourcing flexible menus and shorter supply chains to prevent excess ldquoWhen planning adapts sustainability becomes business as usualrdquoProblem The perception around lsquoimperfectrsquo foodSolution Reframe imperfection as intelligenceNagpal suggests brands must shift the narrative through confident presentation transparent sourcing and flavourled menus Normalisation happens when these ingredients appear as everyday offerings not sustainability specials Chef Sombir Chaudary Kompnay Hospitality says ldquoBrands decide what feels acceptable so its better to integrate the imperfect seamlessly without labels discounts or moral messaging ldquoThe key is confidence not concessionrdquoProblem Household waste framed as consumer failureSolution Industryled systems that make waste harderL Avinash Kapoli R Chef Sombir ChoudharyHousehold food waste is often blamed on poor planning or storage ignoring the systems that shape this behaviour Think confusing date labels oversized packs inconsistent availability and overproduction ldquoThe industry must lead before consumers can followrdquo says Kapoli Chef Harsh Shodhan founder The Gourmet Kitchen and Studio suggests AIdriven forecasting smarter production planning and packaging designed for clarity and preservation to reduce waste at source and encourage consumers to reduce waste without effortProblem The lsquojust in casersquo mindsetSolution Make waste visibleChef Harsh ShodhanBuffer ordering and overprep are built into operations to avoid stockouts When unsold food isnrsquot tracked waste stays invisible and habitual Behaviour shifts when systems change Smaller default portions tighter prep planning and ingredient crossuse reduce excess Simple nudges like tracking leftovers or limiting daily prep turn waste into data New drinks are tested before menu rollout preventing unnecessary inventory The same logic applies at home Clear storage guidance flexible pack sizes reminders and rewards for lowwaste behaviour quietly reinforce better habitsProblem A system built for volume not outcomesSolution Design waste out of the systemSuccess is measured by how much is sold not how much is eaten ldquoIn a wastefree world throwing away edible food will feel outdatedrdquo says Kapoli Demandled production flexible portions and smart freshness indicators shift focus from volume to outcomes Choosing imperfect food becomes normal wasting edible food feels inefficientProblem Consumers blamed for a system they didnrsquot designSolution Design the right choice into the systemldquoWaste reduction works when responsibility is shared not shiftedrdquo says Nagpal When industryled design makes lowwaste behaviour the default consumers follow naturally ldquoWhile mindful consumption is the consumerrsquos responsibility netzero food waste is only possible when every touchpoint takes ownershiprdquo says Shodhan From production and packaging to logistics and forecasting every link must design against waste with consumers supported by systems not burdened by them When that happens zero waste can turn into a reality