NextBillion - A WDI Publication

India is one of the world’s largest agricultural producers, yet a substantial share of food is lost or wasted across the value chain. Food loss occurs during production, harvesting, storage, and transport, while food waste takes place at the retail, food service, and household levels (FAO 2019). In India, post-harvest losses are estimated at 68.9 million metric tonnes, costing INR 1.53 lakh crore annually (NABCONS 2022). At the same time, 78.2 million tonnes of food is wasted each year (UNEP 2024), making India the second-largest food waste generator globally. Beyond economic costs, food loss and food waste (FLFW) contributes nearly 12% of global greenhouse gas emissions (Zhu et al. 2013) (FAO 2013).

These losses present systemic challenges across India’s food system – impacting farmer livelihoods, access to nutrition, urban sustainability, and resilience of food value chains. For small and marginal farmers, who make up 86% of agricultural landholders, food loss is not merely a supply chain inefficiency; it translates directly into lost income and reduced resilience, particularly given limited access to post-harvest infrastructure and increasing climate risks. At the same time, food that is lost or wasted represents a missed opportunity to nourish communities, alongside the loss of valuable resources such as water, land, and labour. In urban areas, food waste highlights inefficiencies in how food is consumed, managed, and redistributed, even as nutrition gaps persist and waste volumes continue to rise. Addressing FLFW is therefore critical to building more resilient, inclusive, and equitable food systems in India.

Building on the momentum of its inaugural edition, WRI India, in partnership with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and the Friends of Champions 12.3 India, is hosting RESET 2026: Dialogues to Reduce Food Loss and Waste in India on 9–10 July 2026 in New Delhi. RESET is a national platform that brings together stakeholders from across government, food and agriculture businesses, producers, development partners, financial institutions, academia, innovators, bulk waste generators and civil society to advance dialogue and catalyse action on reducing FLFW in India.

RESET 2026 will focus on the role of food loss and waste reduction in strengthening livelihoods, improving nutrition outcomes, and enabling more resilient and inclusive food systems. Alongside the dialogues, an exhibition will showcase innovative solutions and technologies spanning farm-gate interventions, post-harvest management, urban food waste prevention, and waste-to-value approaches.