Food Waste - Closed Loop Recycling

Globally 1.3 billion tonnes of food produced for human consumption from farm to fork gets wasted. This wastage includes residential, commercial and farm-based processed and unprocessed food produce. By volume, food waste in both developed and developing countries varies by 6%, however, financially food losses and waste amounts to 120% more in developed countries. In fact, as per UN, per capita waste by consumers in Europe and US is 12 times to that of customers in Asia and Africa. Food waste also amounts to the loss of other resources such as water, land, energy, and labor. The scope of this issue is enormous and thus calls for a very thoughtful, sustainable and collective effort.

Food waste can be quantified at four levels: post-harvest, processing, retail and consumer level. In the US more than 40% of losses happen at retail and consumer levels, a primary reason being the over-emphasis on the appearance of the produce. If strategically managed, the excess edible food which is wasted will end up feeding the undernourished people and the scale is that 1 out of every 9 people is under fed globally. Development of sustainable supply chains and a real-time access of supply-demand dynamics will not only change the current situation but will also provide a long-term solution for managing this issue. Food waste is also an untapped source of green energy and a potential natural fertilizer. However, 20% of landfill input comprises of food waste where it decomposes and releases methane - a greenhouse gas responsible for global warming.

The aim is to provide a technology-based, sustainable solution for the development of a closed loop cycle for food waste. With the advent of smart manufacturing and advancement in artificial intelligence, the development of robust supply chains catering primarily to food waste will become a reality.