SMP 2028 INdoDutch TAskforce against Food LOss and Waste (INTAFLOW) (BO-69-002-004)

Food security is a prevailing issue in India. Over 194 million Indians are undernourished1 and about 7 million

children died because of hunger or malnutrition2. In contrast, India is producing sufficient food to feed everyone,

but over 40% of the food produced is lost or wasted along the supply chain or at consumer level. The total value

is estimated to be around € 6,- billion per year2. The UN sustainable development goal 12.3 specifically focuses

on this and the following aim ‘By 2030, halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels and

reduce food losses along production and supply chains, including post-harvest losses’.

Reducing food losses and waste, primarily through prevention, has enormous potential for ensuring sustainable

food and nutrition security, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and lessening environmental impacts by

improved resource use efficiency. Nonetheless, reducing food losses and waste all along the agri-food value

chain is not straightforward, as the problem is a result of manifold and highly interlinked causes. Much is known

about the causes and many innovative solutions are already available.

Recently the World Resource Institute published two reports on the reduction of food loss and waste; setting a global action agenda and ten interventions to scale impact. Both reports call on governments, companies, farmers, consumers and other involved institutes to ‘Develop national strategies for reducing food loss and waste’ and ‘create national public-private partnerships to tackle food loss and waste’. The report builds upon the results, experiences and tools developed within REFRESH (Resource Efficient Food and Drink for the Entire Supply Chain, www.eu-refresh.org) which was Wageningen Research.