1) Globally, about 1.3 billion tons of food was wasted in 2011, equivalent to one third of total food production. This figure increased to 2 billion tons in 2012, a 30% increase in one year. 2) In India, approximately 20 million tons of food grains are wasted annually. Bangalore alone wastes 943 tons of food, worth 339 crore rupees, at its 84,960 annual weddings. 3) Two students started an environmental club called "Green Ideas" to address this issue by producing biogas from food waste at their school. Their example shows how individuals and communities can help reduce food waste.

1. What Amount Of Food Goes From
Your Plate Into The Garbage Bin?
By Anush Garg

2. Is malnutrition a desi term?
• In India, ‘malnutrition’ has been termed as a “National
Shame” by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh; as one in every
three malnourished children in the world is from India
• According to the collective reports in 2011, about 1.3 billion
tons of food was wasted; which is equivalent to wasting one
third of the global food production every year.
• In 2012, this figure rocketed to a high of 2 billion tons, which
is an increase of approximately 30% in food wastage in one
year.
• This is due to lack of efficiency.
• Currently, as per the calculation, 550 billion cubic meters of
water is also wasted in growing the grains which does not
even reach the plates of people.

3. What is your count?
• If you think ‘it is not my kitchen’, then today have a look at
your garbage or in your refrigerator and even look at your
plate after having a full course meal.
• Subsequently, multiply the amount of the wasted food with
365 and then by 3 (Breakfast, lunch and dinner), the result will
actually be an eye opener.
• However, in the developing nations such as India, most of the
food is wasted at some stage of processing, production or
transportation.
• Approximately 20 million tons of food grains are wasted in
our country per annum.

4. After-party is not that fun, is it?
• Bangalore city hosts 84,960 wedding parties every year,
where approximately 943 tons of food is wasted that has an
equivalent price of Rs.339 crore.
• The waste includes maximum of 18% fruits, 12.4% of
vegetables, and 6.1% of cereals.
• I believe the host of such parties should be responsible for
not maintaining the food waste to its lowest possible level.
• Many of the Indian women provide kneaded wheat to cows
every morning; what they actually do is spiritual, but, it is
aimed at ensuring food security to animals.
• If our culture indirectly teaches us how to conserve our
eatables, then why do we waste food when attending
parties?

5. Do something, anything!
• Keeping in mind the wastage two 11th grade students,
Ramita Kondepudi and Jaewon Saw at the Canadian
International School, Bangalore came up with an idea of
starting an environmental club named ‘Green Ideas’.
• One of the many projects of the club was to begin the
production of bio gas from the school’s own waste.
• They visited the nearby corporate office in Whitefield which
had a functioning bio gas plant of its own and learnt about
the basic requirements to start their own plant at the school
campus, very Innovative indeed.
• After a detailed research about the food waste on a global
level, if we form some kind of a group in our societies and try
to collect the wasted food and re-process these eatables, the
essence of our own hard work can bring smiles to countless
faces.

6. • The proper storage facility of wheat grains and other
products is necessary.
• The state and central governments that they should come up
with some major reforms for better storage.
• The authorities should also avoid excessive refining and
processing of food.
Dear reader, what will be your plans in order to conserve food?

7. • Read more on Youth Ki Awaaz at http://bit.ly/VWFT4U