• The Sustainable Development Goal 12.3
• The Scenario in Shimla

Tackling Food Waste: A Step Towards Sustainability At the Grassroots

Food waste or let’s say surplus food management continues to be an ignored and a pressing issue globally, even in our own city, with statistics that are alarming that reveal that an average of 50 kilograms of food is discarded per person annually. This waste not only represents lost resources but also contributes significantly to environmental degradation in form of Ozone that gets made from the food that reaches landfills.

In regions like Bhariyal-Totu-Shimla, waste management struggles remain evident, with nearly 100 tons of waste being produced daily by all the wards in the city. Improper disposal practices, such not segregating it, lead to harmful decay emissions. When such waste is dumped in landfills, especially those near groundwater sources like tube wells, it exacerbates the risks of pollution and health hazards as well as become a prime factor in Ozone Depletion.

The major contributors are students’ mess, banquet halls etc.

Also Read : Fermented Foods: A Timeless Tradition with Modern Health Benefits

Food Mess that contribute to improperly managed surplus food:

Many community mess facilities contribute to this issue by discarding large quantities of surplus food daily. For instance, areas like Phase-3 in New Shimla and others have faced conditions akin to a food surplus everyday, leading to it being wasted and thrown into bins the very next day. The food isn’t and can’t be managed easily and be given to the piggery farms unlike places that are near to such farms.

 Similarly, locations like Ram Mandir and the D.C. Office also report significant quantities of wasted food. These foods, revered as symbols of sustenance in many cultures, often go to waste due to a lack of efficient redistribution mechanisms.

Collaborative Efforts Towards a Solution

One way to combat food waste and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is through greater collaboration among stakeholders. Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and self-help groups(SHGs)  have a pivotal role in bridging the gap. Initiatives such as Save Food, Share Joy aim to minimize food waste by redistributing surplus food to those in need. This program fosters partnerships between food businesses, NGOs, and government agencies, ensuring surplus food reaches underserved communities.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) also emphasizes the need to streamline efforts and work with local organizations to mitigate food wastage. By leveraging such partnerships, we can reduce hunger and address multiple SDGs simultaneously.

Also Read : Towards Zero Waste: Combating Global Food Wastage for a Sustainable Tomorrow

Bhookh: A local initiative that’s acting as a Beacon of Light:

‘Bhookh’, a campaign by Neha Sharma, a M.Sc. student and her struggle with her own finance and family aims to deliver such surplus food to the proletariat class that come home tired and exhausted and even to the strays with a few collaborations at New Shimla. Although the initiative  requires volunteers and an urgent expansion, still their small deeds stand a tall testament to the saying, if  big things can’t be done, all at once, smaller things need to be done, breaking the big things that are imagined.

A Call to Action

While initiatives like these shine a light on potential solutions, the broader issue of food waste reflects systemic challenges. Many Sustainable Development Goals remain under-prioritized, with limited accountability for how funds are allocated and their impact measured at the grassroots level. Greater transparency, awareness, and action are needed to bridge this gap and make meaningful progress in achieving sustainability.