India is currently facing severe problems relating to food but the government is in deep slumber. Such is the sad reality of our democracy that politicians who are engaged in their hunger for power do not bother about the hunger faced by indigents.
South Asia’s child wasting rate constitutes a critical public health emergency. The child wasting rate for the region is amplified by India, which has the region’s largest population and highest level of child wasting at 21 percent. As per the 2018 Global Hunger Index (GHI), published on October 10, 2018, the level of hunger and undernutrition worldwide fell to 20.9, down from 29.2 in the year 2000.As per the index, India was ranked 103rd out of 119 qualifying countries. The Global Hunger Index 2018 report was prepared jointly by global NGOs namely, Concern Worldwide (Ireland) and Welthungerhilfe (Germany). South Asia’s child wasting rate constitutes a critical public health emergency. The child wasting rate for the region is amplified by India, which has the region’s largest population and highest level of child wasting at 21 percent. In the countries included in the GHI, the share of the undernourished population stood at 12.3 percent in 2015–2017, down from 17.6 percent in 1999–2001. 27.9 percent children under five years of age were stunted based on data from 2013–2017, down from 37.1 percent in 1998–2002.
9.3 percent children under-5 years were wasted, slightly down from 9.7 percent in 1998–2002. The under-five mortality rate was 4.2 percent as of 2016, down from 8.1 percent in 2000.
According to FAO estimates in ‘The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World, 2019’ report, 194.4 million people are undernourished in India. By this measure 14.5% of the population is undernourished in India. Also, 51.4% of women in reproductive age between 15 to 49 years are anaemic.
India houses 24% of world’s malnourished; 30% of stunted children under 5.
Problems faced:
Starvation
Starvation is a condition characterized by a deficiency in calorie energy intake and is a graver form of malnutrition which ultimately leads to death if not taken care about. Historically, starvation has been constant across various human cultures apart from India. Starvation can take place in a country due to many reasons like war, famine, the disparities between the rich and the poor and so on. Malnutrition conditions like kwashiorkor and marasmus can also develop into serious causes of starvation.
Generally, the conditions of kwashiorkor and marasmus arise when people are taking diets which are not rich in nutrients (proteins, vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, fats and roughage). According to World Health Organization, the top ten causes of death through disease include the deficiencies of iron, vitamin A and zinc.
Starvation is an epidemic prevalent in some countries of the developing world. In places, where there is extreme poverty, starvation then becomes an involuntary condition.
As per other surveys, the trends in India with respect to undernourishment indicate that the nutritive value consumed per person is dipping. The statistics are shameful in the sense that instead of being able to devise measures to eradicate starvation, we are taking pride in our economic productivity. An economic progress of a country will not matter in the long run unless and until its citizens are not ensured of basic food needed for the maintenance of life.
More children under the age of five die in India than anywhere else in the world. A recent estimate puts this figure at over 1.5 million children a year—over 4,500 child deaths a day.
Malnutrition
India had 195.9 million undernourished people–or people with chronic nutritional deficiency–in 2015-17, down from 204.1 million in 2005-07, according to FAO data. The prevalence of undernourishment has also gone down from 20.7% in 2005-07 to 14.8% in 2015-17.
India, however, still accounts for 23.8% of the global burden of malnourishment, and has the second-highest estimated number of undernourished people in the world after China, according to FAO.
Food Adulteration
Adulteration is the process of adding unwanted substances to the food, with similar appearance/colour for making profits.
Adulteration lowers the quality of food and sometimes, toxic chemicals are also added which can be hazardous to health.
The products are marketed in a tricky manner, which is usually cheating the customers. However, FSSAI has made strong laws against adulteration, it’s still not stopping the small vendors and businessmen to cheat customers.
In a recent report, the Public Health Foundation of India attributed 80 percent of all premature deaths to contaminated food and water. Dr. Keya Ghosh is the head of CUTS, Kolkata, an NGO that fights for consumer rights. “Food adulteration in India starts from the field itself where fertilizers and pesticides are overused. Therefore one kind of contaminant that is present across all range of food is very high level of pesticide residues,” she says.
Children and elderly people are the most vulnerable to these toxins in food. Although some people say that in a country where 40 percent of the population lives below the poverty line, there should be less stress on adulterated food and more on the fact that people should have enough food to eat. However, the food should be safe, say activists.
The Annual Public Laboratory Testing Report for 2014-15 brought out by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) says that of the 49,290 samples of food items it tested, 8,469, nearly one-fifth, were found adulterated or misbranded.
Some of the adulterants that are used in milk are water, chalk, urea, caustic soda and skimmed milk, while Khoya is adulterated with paper, refined oil and skimmed milk powder.
The level of adulteration in milk is dangerous to so many levels and has the highest chance of causing stomach disorders.
Tea and coffee are two most used beverages in India, and thus highly adulterated. Tea leaves are usually adulterated with same coloured leaves, some might not even be edible. Several cases of liver infection across the country have been reported due to consuming adulterated tea.
Everybody knows that wheat is very commonly adulterated with ergot, a fungus containing poisonous substances and is extremely injurious to health.
Different coloured and textured vegetables are often coloured with different dyes and substances. These vegetables are mostly adulterated with malachite green, a chemical dye which is known to have carcinogenic.
Common adulterants in fruits and vegetables are oxytocin sachharin, wax, calcium carbide and copper sulphate.
Do you get Indian sweets covered with a silver foil during Diwali? According to Indian regulations, silver must be 99.9 per cent pure if it is used as a food ingredient.
However, with silver becoming expensive many sweet shop owners use silver vark that could contain aluminium. The most common ingredients in making these sweets are khoya and chenna and they’re often adulterated with starch. But the good news is that you can test if the sweets are adulterated by boiling a small sample in water, cool it then add a few drops of iodine solution.
A blue color indicates the presence of starch. Also, sugar used in making thse sweets might be adulterated with tar dye which only makes it worse.
There are so many varieties of honey available in the market, but due to its steep price, honey is commonly adulterated with molasses sugar to increase the bottle quantity.
According to a study carried out by the Centre for Science and Environment, most honey brands being sold in the country contain varying amounts of antibiotics and their consumption over time could induce resistance to antibiotics, lead to blood-related disorders and injury to the liver.
The most commonly adulterated dal is arhar dal and is usually adulterated with metanil yellow. Metanil yellow is a principal non-permitted food colour used extensively in India. The effect of long-term consumption of metanil yellow on the developing and adult brain causes neurotoxicity.
Neurotoxicity occurs when the exposure to natural or artificial toxic substances, alters the normal activity of the nervous system in such a way as to cause damage to the nervous tissue.
Metanil yellow is used in dal as an adulterant for colouring. Its presence can be tested in dal by adding a few drops of HCl to a test sample, if the solution turns pink in colour, it indicates the presence of metanil yellow.
Soap stone or other earthy material and foreign resinare the common adulterant used in Asafoetida. Papaya seeds, black berries are the common adulterant used in black pepper as they are almost similar in size but tasteless (sometimes bitter). Red chilli powder is adulterated with brick powder,salt powder or talc powder and artificial colours like Sudan Red.
The most expensive spice in the world. Saffron is adulterated by coloured dried tendrils of maize cob.
Butter can be diluted with water or partially replaced with cheaper plant oils such as palm oil, sunflower oil and soybean oil. This increases the profits derived from a given volume of milk.
Most common adulterants in ice cream are pepperonil, ethylacetate,butraldehyde, emil acetate, nitrate, washing powder etc are not less than poison. Pepperoil is used as a pesticide and ethyl acetate causes terribble diseases affecting lungs, kidneys and heart.
Ice cream is manufactured in extremely cold chamber where fat is hardened and several harmful substances are added. Also a kind of gum is added which is sticky and slow melting. This gum is obtained by boiling animal parts like tail,the nose,the udder etc.
Consumer Exploitation
Consumer exploitation refers to the act of taking advantage of buyers. This occurs because of limited information about the product, such as guarantees and terms of purchase. Illiterate consumers are especially vulnerable; consequently, they are likely to be cheated into paying more and even purchasing a counterfeit product. When few manufacturers produce an item, competition is limited, leading producers to determine the price and availability of the product and thereby exploiting the buyer. Limited supplies of a product lead to hoarding and a subsequent boost in prices.Consumers are entitled to a certain value for their money, including right quality, right quantity, right prices and right information about the product. However, many market giants exploit consumers with malpractices of varying magnitude. Manufacturers make false claims about what a given product does to lure consumers into buying it. Typical examples include the claim that a particular cooking fat is cholesterol-free, or that a particular product can cure baldness in a couple of days. Some manufacturers produce low-quality products, then fail to honor the accompanying warranties in case of a malfunction.
In an era where selling and buying of goods & services has grown exponentially with the help of technology, it is important that the consumer’s rights are protected. The government after a recent review has decided to augment the capacity of the national helpline to deal with increasing number of consumer complaints. As per data available with the government, consumer complaints have increased by over 70% between 2014 and 2016.
The National Consumer helpline received 1.72 lakh complaints in 2015-16, up from 1 lakh odd complaints in 2013-14. The state help lines also received 54827 complaints in 2015-16. Most complaints on the National helpline were received from Delhi followed by Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra. The state help lines in Gujarat, Maharashtra & Rajasthan received more than 10000 complaints each in 2015-16.
More than 90000 complaints were filed in the National & State Consumer fora in 3 years. Sometimes, the hunger problem is a matter of quality, not quantity. If people purchase and consume cheap, unhealthy food, they will reach their proper calorie intake, but still suffer severe nutrient deficiencies. This situation is known as “hidden hunger.” Unborn babies and toddlers are especially vulnerable because they need specific nutrients to develop and become resilient to disease.
Obesity
Obesity is most commonly caused by a combination of excessive food intake, lack of physical activity, and genetic susceptibility.A few cases are caused primarily by genes, endocrine disorders, medications, or mental disorder. The view that obese people eat little yet gain weight due to a slow metabolism is not medically supported. On average, obese people have a greater energy expenditure than their normal counterparts due to the energy required to maintain an increased body mass.
Obesity in India has reached epidemic proportions in the 21st century, with morbid obesity affecting 5% of the country’s population.India is following a trend of other developing countries that are steadily becoming more obese. Unhealthy, processed food has become much more accessible following India’s continued integration in global food markets. This, combined with rising middle class incomes, is increasing the average caloric intake per individual among middle class and high income households. Obesity is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, NGOs such as the Indian Heart Association have been raising awareness about this issue.
Blue water footprint
The volume of water used in agricultural food production is immense. Therefore, if 30 percent of all the food produced goes to waste, then it means that more than 30 percent of freshwater used in the production and processing of food also goes to waste. This contributes to blue water footprint which refers to the amount of consumed surface and groundwater resources that goes to waste.
Precise estimations indicate that food wastage is responsible for the wastage of nearly 250 cubic kilometers (km3) of water. This wastage is equivalent to thrice the volume of Lake Geneva. It is also affirmed that throwing out a kilogram of beef amounts to a waste of 50,000 liters of water used in the meat production process. Similarly, 1000 liters of water is wasted if one glass of milk is poured down the drain.
Causes behind the problems
Unsustainable Agricultural practices
Rural people often know best how to conserve their environment, but they may need to overexploit resources in order to survive. Meanwhile commercial exploitation by large landowners and companies often causes environmental degradation in pursuit of higher profits. Almost all of the future growth in the world’s population will be in developing countries and the biggest increases will be in the poorest countries of all, those least equipped to meet their own needs or invest in the future. New technologies have boosted agricultural production worldwide, but some have had harmful side effects which must be contained and reversed, such as resistance of insects to pesticides, land degradation through wind or water erosion, nutrient depletion or poor irrigation management and the loss of biological diversity. As the value of raw materials exported by developing countries has fallen, their governments have sought to boost income by expansion of crop production and timber sales that have damaged the environment.
Climate Change
Climate change is expected to lower grain yields and raise crop prices across the developing world, leading to a 20-percent rise in child malnutrition, a new study finds.
The total calories available in 2050 will be lower than in 2000, the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) estimates, increasing malnutrition rates in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa in particular.
“Farmers will have reduced yields, but it will vary by region, vary by crop, and vary by management system,” said Gerald Nelson, an IFPRI senior research fellow and lead author of the report, released today.
Higher temperatures are expected to reduce crop yields, allow damaging weeds and insects to spread, and shift precipitation patterns worldwide. While some agricultural regions are expected to benefit from climate change, overall production will decline for the world’s rice, wheat, maize, millet, and sorghum harvests, the report said.
To avert death and displacement in the years ahead, a rapidly developing country dependent on coal is trying to slash its carbon emissions by switching to solar power and other cleaner energy sources. Whether India succeeds in this energy renaissance will likely determine the future of its people–and to a certain degree, the world.
Overpopulation
Overpopulation refers to an undesirable condition where human population exceeds the available natural resources to feed and sustain it. India is the second most populous country in the world, after China. Overpopulation is among the more serious problems that our country is facing, as it accounts for more than 1.20 billion people of the over 7 billion population of the world. Some of the Indian states outnumber several countries in population. Uttar Pradesh with a population of 166 million leaves behind the Russian Federation, home to 146.9 million people. Similarly, Orissa’s population exceeds that of Canada, and Chhattisgarh’s that of Australia. While the average annual birth rate in India, which was 42 per thousand in 1951-61, decreased to 24.8 per thousand in 2011, the country has seen its decadal death rate decline to 8.5 in 2001-2011 from 42.6 in 1901-1911. Since the death rate has also gone down sharply, the population has tended to grow very fast in India.
Overpopulation leads to over-exploitation of natural resources. Increasing population puts further burden on the earth’s capacity to produce food and water and other natural resources. As a result, the underprivileged people have to suffer malnutrition, starvation and unhealthy living conditions Excessive increase in population leads to grave forms of pollution and deforestation.
Overpopulation leads to the vicious circle of illiteracy, unemployment and poverty. Lack of education deprives the people of the opportunities to earn their livelihood and fulfill the bare necessities of their lives.
Poverty
Income poverty (due to unemployment, low wages, or lack of education) can lead to household food insecurity, inadequate care, “unhealthy household environment, and lack of health services.” People of low socioeconomic status are most vulnerable to food insecurity since purchasing power serves as a main determinant of the ability-to-afford nutritional food sources. Households that cannot attain nutritious foods due to income poverty are most associated with the inadequate diet and disease that leads to malnutrition.
Poverty is another reason for the increase in population in our country. Many poor parents produce more children not because they do not have the knowledge about contraceptives, but because they require children to assist them in earning their livelihood. It is clear from the fact that there is unending number of child labourers in our country. If poor families stop the children from working, their family income tends to fall way short of meeting their basic needs. And overpopulation is directly related to starvation as human wants are more than its available resources.
Economic crisis
This is the most significant and obvious cause behind starvation. India’s real or inflation-adjusted gross domestic product (GDP) grew at 5% in the June 2019 quarter of financial year 2019-20 (Q1FY20), the slowest growth in six years (25 quarters). In nominal terms, the growth stood at 7.99%, the lowest since December 2002. With this, fears of the slowdown being a more structural one than a cyclical one have surfaced. A slowdown is there in consumption demand, decline in manufacturing, inability of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) to resolve cases in a time-bound manner, and rising global trade tension and its adverse impact on exports are some of the factors affecting India’s growth, analysts say. Simultaneously there are reports of a shrinkage in labour force participation ratio (the proportion of people who are willing to work) indicating withdrawal syndromes on part of the unemployed. Distress is further indicated in the large numbers of poverty stricken people in the country, between 22 % to 29% of the population according to different estimates.
The 30-share index, of late, has again slumped back, touching 36,701 on August 23. The immediate causes cited include net outflows of Foreign Portfolio Investments (FPI) at Rs 3,700 crore or above in a single month of July 2019, reversing the usual trend for net inflows in the preceding months. One can also notice the simultaneous drop on India’s foreign exchange reserves which fell by nearly $1 billion between July 20 and July 26, 2019.
Concerns relating to the stagnating economy and the markets in the country led the government to announce, on August 23, a major roll-back , primarily for the additional taxes introduced in the last budget on the ‘super rich’ with income slabs over Rs 2 crore and beyond Rs 5 crore.
Excessive food Wastage
In the most recent years, food waste has become a complex phenomenon attracting the attention of scientists, consumers and activists alike. It’s been termed as a global paradox regarding the manner in which emphasis is put on agriculture to improve food security and then a third of all the food produced ends up as waste. This is according to FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) report in 2013 indicating that the food waste globally sums to one-third of the total food produced for human consumption, about 1.6 billion tons a year.
Lack of appropriate planning
One of the top contributors to food wastage is because of lack of appropriate planning on the consumer part. Sometimes people buy lots of food without appropriately making plans on when and how the food will be prepared for consumption. Coupled with the contemporary schedules of work and appointments, people therefore tend to change food preparation plans or fail to remember using it on time.
At times it’s out of most people’s control which leads to expiry of the foods after which they are thrown as waste. Also due to lack of appropriate planning, people find themselves having badly prepared food that just doesn’t taste great. It all ends up as waste.
Most of the time, food is also wasted because of purchasing or preparing too much. If one purchases or prepares too much food than is needed, then it’s obvious the excess food on the plate will go to waste. In such scenarios, leftovers and partially used food account for the food that goes to waste.
Deforestation
By famine and drought, large sections of Orissa and Bihar are beginning to mirror the stark images of hunger in Somalia and Sudan. In Orissa, more than 10 million people — the majority of whom are tribals — are reeling under a famine. In tribal-dominated south Bihar, too, more than 1 million people are suffering under the worst famine since 1967.
Erosion and silting up of traditional rainwater-harvesting structures systems such as cuttas and mundas, repeated crop failures and the usurping of tribal land by gountias (feudal landlords) and traders, increased pressure on tribals to look to the forests to earn a livelihood. This led to large-scale tree-felling. Government contractors, too, began exploiting sal and teak forests for commercial purposes.
Today, tree-felling and collection of firewood is done mainly by the tribals for smuggler-traders, in exchange for subsistence-level earnings. Timber is smuggled in virtually all these districts and the fact is acknowledged openly by district administration officials and MPs in Delhi. The major culprits are traders who supply markets outside Orissa and local paper and wood product factories. Some of these industries are also believed to be directly involved in wood smuggling.
Wood is also illegally collected for construction and other purposes. A large part of the smuggled firewood goes to brick kilns. The large-scale felling in western Orissa can be seen not only in remote and reserved forests, but also along the roadside.
A new report underlines the link between forests and food security. The study released by the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO), the world’s largest network of forest scientists, says that forests can improve nutrition level and meet the “Zero Hunger Challenge” by 2025.
The study—Forests, Trees and Landscapes for Food Security and Nutrition. A Global Assessment Report—says that tree foods are often rich in vitamins, proteins and other vital nutrients and can help in providing a diverse diet when about one in nine people continue to suffer from hunger worldwide.
Christoph Wildburger, the coordinator of IUFRO’s Global Forest Expert Panels (GFEP) initiative says, “We know that forests already play a key role in mitigating the effects of climate change. This report makes it very clear that they also play a key role in alleviating hunger and improving nutrition.”
Forests provide firewood and charcoal which is used by people in many developing countries for heating and cooking. They also support bees and other pollinators which are essential for crop production.
The report says that forests and tree-based systems can play a crucial role in complementing agricultural production. The loss and degradation of forests hit food security directly by affecting the availability of fruits and other forest and tree-based products. It also indirectly modifies ecological factors that are important for crop and livestock production.
“Large-scale crop production is highly vulnerable to extreme weather events, which may occur more frequently under climate change. Science shows that tree-based farming can adapt far better to such calamities,” adds Wildburger.
Poor infrastructure and vehicles
India lacks the resources to build sufficient roads, which impedes food transportation. In some countries, motor vehicles are also in short supply, so the majority of transportation is on foot, bicycle or on the backs of livestock. With these methods of transportation, fresh food would spoil quickly. Rural areas must rely on the natural resources around them, and if those resources aren’t enough, the inhabitants may go hungry.
Discrimination
In every country, groups of people are poorer than their neighbors due to religious, racial or gender-based discrimination. If groups are not well-received by their community, it becomes very difficult for them to ward off hunger. They may be banned from restaurants and food markets, unable to find employment, unlawfully incarcerated and overlooked by government welfare programs.
Poor Governance
A major hindrance in fighting starvation in India is the lack of proper implementation of government schemes which are directed towards providing food for one and all. Either there is corruption on the local levels or there is a disinterest among the government officials to ensure that the schemes are properly being carried out. In 2010, the government-run food distribution programme in the eastern state of Jharkhand shut down when the local ration dealer stopped the distribution of grains. The schedules castes and scheduled tribes are the poorest of the poor and thus at maximum risk. As far as the Public Distribution system is concerned, it is a well-known reality that almost 51% of the food delivered is lost to leakages and is sold in the open market for a higher price. There is no clarity on the occasions of drought and flood with respect to the production of food and the inherent price rise in the subsidies bill which might force many needy people out of the ambit of the entitlement to the subsidies. We need to reduce the leakages from the distribution system and make it transparent.
GST is flawed in its structure, punitive in its design and therefore motheaten and demonitisation needs no illustration. Indian economy, especially the informal sector got completely ravaged due to it, giving a direct effect on starvation.
All the efforts and money spent by the state on afforestation have been fruitless. The local people have not been involved, so they don’t see any tangible benefits accruing to them by maintaining the saplings.
Forest department sources claim more than Rs 50 crore was spent in Kalahandi during 1985-90 for afforestation under social forestry and other programmes. The soil conservation department has spent nearly Rs 87 crore in the past 10 years on agro-forestry and various plantations.
The Orissa government white paper claims paucity of funds hinders permanent famine prevention, but says the government has taken steps to ensure nobody dies of hunger. It also promises severe action against district collectors if cases of starvation deaths and sale of children are reported.
Failure of the public distribution system (PDS) and the administrative machinery, lack of funds and food security and the absence of a national policy to tackle the famine are generally cited as the reasons for the tragedy. But the huge buffer stock of foodgrain that India boasts of makes it clear the recurring starvation in these pockets arises from deprivation.
Nearly 85 per cent of PDS supplies in the country goes to urban areas where only about 30 per cent of the population lives. In the distribution of the remaining 15 per cent, extra weightage is not given to states like Orissa and Bihar that have massive populations below the poverty line.
No food security Economist K N Kabra of New Delhi’s Indian Institute of Public Administration says, “People are dying in Orissa and Bihar because there is no micro food security despite an increase in macro production. Moreover, in Orissa, the PDS entitlement is very low.” Even fair price shops (FPS) that normally flourish in the black market during general food shortages have been affected because the people simply have no purchasing power.
The biggest driving factor for food wastage is the protocol on food safety. The food safety protocols give no room for error in industrial processing or any other compromise that diminish quality of the final food products. As such, the confusions and errors during industrial processing of food mean that all food items that don’t meet the set standards are wasted.
Food processing companies have to comply with high food safety regulations and must thus establish no error margins. In complying with the food safety policies, the companies in the sector end up creating waste as any small error means the food will be rejected even if it’s simply due to imperfection in appearance or shape.
Overcooking, production trials, packaging defects, trial runs, and wrong sizes and weights are some of the aspects resulting in imperfection and the eventual rejection of the foods.
The wastage takes place because of the constraints to do with lack proper management, inadequate finances, and technical difficulties in the lines of harvesting methods, storage and cooling problems in adverse weather conditions, processing, packaging, infrastructure, and marketing systems.
Leading among the causes of unsustainable agriculture are inadequate or inappropriate policies which include pricing, subsidy and tax policies which have encouraged the excessive, and often uneconomic, use of inputs such as fertilizers and pesticides, and the overexploitation of land. They may also include policies that favour farming systems which are inappropriate both to the circumstances of the farming community and available resources.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, despite his unflattering record on environmental issues, says he understands the immense threat climate change poses—even if he accepts almost no blame for the problem.
“Climate change is not of our making,” Modi said at the United Nations’ 2015 climate change talks in Paris. “It is the result of global warming that came from the prosperity and progress of an industrial age powered by fossil fuel. But we in India face its consequences today. We see it in the risks of our farmers, the changes in weather patterns, and the intensity of natural disasters.” I mean, is the Government on nuts?
Over-preparation of food in restaurants, hotels and the food service industry
Most restaurants, hotels and the food service industry alike have a tendency of over-preparing/producing food. While the intention is good especially in anticipation of high customer volume and the ability of not running out of menu, over-preparation often leads to wastage if all the food is unsold. Since the food service operations lacks the ability to quantify the amount of food consumed on average, the kitchens keep producing amounts thought to be enough but most of it is actually not needed. Besides, some managers believe producing food in large batches minimizes on costs, but in actual fact it results in more waste as compared to cook-to-order preparation or cooking in small batches.
The over-merchandizing of food items and products in retail centers, wholesale markets, and supermarkets often result in food wastage. Foodservice operations are habitually more focused on over-merchandizing in food stores and supermarkets by using beautiful and attractive displays thereby creating the idea of abundance in an attempt to promote sales and customer satisfaction.
The overlooked aspect of over-merchandizing is its association with increased food waste. When people buy more than needed, the excess will often end up in the trash bin. Over-ordering also leads to expiry of food staff with limited shelf life as some of it will remain unsold.
Consumer behavior
Different customers have different preferences and this highly influences consumer purchasing behavior on food items. Particularly, the consumer behavior on focus here is the tendency of having a keen insight for good judgment which results in those who only prefer unblemished vegetables and fruits, and the restrictive must display for shelf life dates.
Such consumer behavior more often than not contributes to the wastage of food as most of the food items may remain on the shelves till expiry. Also, such consumer behavior tendencies may force foodservice operators in restaurants and hotels to maintain large menu options and high-end services while assuring consistency that mostly leads to food wastage.
Indian consumers are also timid and meek in nature who do not raise their voices against consumer exploitation.
Anoemia, bullexia and other eating disorders are also causes behind these problems.
Medical Negligence
No one should have to choose between medicine and other necessities. No one should have to use the emergency room every time a child gets sick. And no one should have to live in constant fear that a medical problem will become a financial crisis. But these are just fancy statements.
Malnutrition can impact anyone. However, some of the most common victims are people in nursing homes, hospitals, or other facilities where they rely on others for care. Since people in nursing homes and other care facilities are already elderly, ill, or in a vulnerable state, their bodies are in great need of vital nutrients. They may also require assistance, like a feeding tube, to get the nutrients that they need to heal and thrive. Unfortunately, their need for assistance makes them susceptible to negligence and medical malpractice. Additionally, their already-compromised health means that a lack of nutrients can quickly have deadly affects.
When people in nursing homes or hospitals suffer from malnutrition, it is not usually the result of malicious intent. Instead, malnutrition is often the result of a mistake or oversight, like forgetting to check on a patient during a busy day or misdiagnosing a patient’s need for a feeding tube. Still, caregivers and health professionals have a duty to care for their patients, and even a simple mistake can still mean deadly or long-term consequences.
Whether it occurs as the result of neglect or an oversight, a lack of nutrients can be especially dangerous for elderly and ill people. If you have a loved one who may be susceptible to malnutrition as a result of malpractice or neglect, it’s critical to know the warning signs—and to have an experienced medical malpractice attorney on your side if malnutrition leads to death or a serious injury.
Illiteracy
There is a triangular relationship between poverty, food adulteration/Starvation and illiteracy who have a cause and consequence relationship. We will have to break this vicious circle.
Starvation deaths are beyond food. They are also a result of failure of government institutions that are meant to help the needy and the poor. Illiteracy also puts these people at a higher risk when the food supply dries up due to the lack of knowledge.
The main reason for exploitation of consumers is lack of knowledge. Several consumers do not have the knowledge about the price, quality, services related commodities. Therefore, consumers simply trust the facts told to them by the sellers and purchase goods, thus become trapped and are exploited.
The failure of family planning is directly related to large-scale illiteracy that also contributes to early age of marriage, low status of women, high child-mortality rate etc mentioned above. Uneducated families cannot grasp the issues and problems caused by the increasing population rate. They are least aware of the various ways to control population, usage of contraceptives and birth control measures. Generally, illiterate and uneducated children inherit their father’s behaviour and choose to give birth to as many children as is necessary to increase the income of their family. As a son is supposed to be the bread earner of the family, the poor do not mind producing any number of girl children in their desire to be ultimately blessed by a male child.
Online Marketing
Today in the age of computers, tele- marketing and e-commerce have become very popular. You also must have seen the advertisement on T.V. The information about the goods and the prices is also given in the advertisement. The consumer can send the required money and get the commodity through parcel. But very often the consumers feel cheated by this deal. One orders for costly products on being influenced, but he does not get the due benefit from that good. There is also limited information. In this age of globalization there are several types of products in the market. Producer is free to produce. There is no fixed law for quality and rate. There is lack of knowledge about several aspects of goods like rte, quality, rules for usage, rules for selling etc. Therefore a consumer makes wrong choice and suffers financial loss .
Monopoly
Competition is always a good thing. It forces us to do our best. A monopoly renders people complacent and satisfied with mediocrity.
Monopoly means the right on the production and distribution of a commodity of a producer or a group of producers. In the state of monopoly producers have arbitrary behavior regarding the prices and the quality and availability of the goods. As a result, producers succeeded in exploiting consumers.
Solutions
The need of the hour is to implement existing as well as future schemes of the Government with a mission to eradicate the hunger of the people and to make the phenomenon of starvation deaths a thing of the past. And for that purpose, apart from administrative authorities, NGOs and people in general will have to make effort with compassion and with the spirit of brotherhood.
Consumer’s education and awareness is the most important measure for the solution of exploitation. The government has made several laws for the protection of consumers. But it is observed that the laws are not known to general public. Therefore, proper education of consumer’s right should be provided to consumers.
Obesity is mostly preventable through a combination of social changes and personal choices.Changes to diet and exercising are the main treatments.Diet quality can be improved by reducing the consumption of energy-dense foods, such as those high in fat or sugars, and by increasing the intake of dietary fiber. Medications can be used, along with a suitable diet, to reduce appetite or decrease fat absorption.If diet, exercise, and medication are not effective, a gastric balloon or surgery may be performed to reduce stomach volume or length of the intestines, leading to feeling full earlier or a reduced ability to absorb nutrients from food.
The main strategies for sustainable agriculture and rural development must be to create employment locally and to find alternatives to practices which overexploit the land. Low-cost soil and water conservation measures are needed, while the pressure on fuelwood can be reduced by tapping other local sources of energy, such as wind and biogas. Planting legume-based crops and trees, which fix their own nitrogen, can reverse the depletion of soil nutrients and reduce the need for mineral fertilizers.
Overgrazing can be reduced by encouraging greater control over the use of resources and increasing the offtake of livestock by improving market networks. The reduction or removal of subsidies and other actions that reduce the cost of maintaining livestock can also encourage greater offtake. Growing hay, development of leguminous forage and the promotion of species of trees and shrubs that are productive during the dry season can provide alternative sources of feed and alleviate shortages.
Efficient use of water can be promoted by local farmers participating in drainage and irrigation design, improved training and water pricing policies that curb excessive use. Small-scale schemes planned and implemented by local institutions can reduce many irrigation problems if backed by national policies that effectively support appropriate technologies, credit, marketing, energy supplies and maintenance of equipment.
The introduction of improved soil management, integrated pest management and efficient waste management all promote sustainability. Mixed cropping systems, plus improved management techniques, help promote maximum efficienty in natural resource use. Diversification can minimize environmental and socio-economic risks, assist waste recycling and reduce the need for external inputs. Promoting additional sources of income can limit pressure on natural resources. Suited to marginal areas, or ones with low agricultural potential, they can either be specialized (as in ranching) or diversified (as in shifting cultivation). Few external inputs are used, so integrated pest management, water management, and the conservation and maintenance of soil fertility are particularly important. The sustainability of these systems depends on having low population densities and only light pressure on natural resources.
If we are to achieve a world without hunger and malnutrition in all its forms by 2030, it is imperative that we accelerate and scale up actions to strengthen the resilience and adaptive capacity of food systems and people’s livelihoods in response to climate variability and extremes.
To improve the condition of the farmers, they need to be educated and attached with some cooperatives. With the help of government, co-operatives and other useful institutions, the farmers continue to get the opportunity to learn about loans, proper agriculture methods, education and technology. They, thus, realize that illiteracy is a curse that leads to only deprivation and destruction.
Foremost, precedence should be centered on balancing food production with demand to reduce the problem of food wastage. The first thing is to cut back on the use of natural resources in food production. In hotels, restaurants and the food service industry, risk management tools can be applied.
Such a tool will work towards ensuring managers and chefs only produce and cook food in accordance with demand or the orders made. Producing large batches of food has always resulted in food wastage. So in trying to save food, labor and money, hotels and the entire food service industry should work on the production of small batches or use the cook-to-order option.
Supermarkets, retail food outlets, big restaurants and individual consumers all alike can also work on their own tailored and creative efforts to reduce food footprint. For instance, individual consumers can cut back their food footprint by not necessarily placing high preference on the very best food quality.
At times even the ugly or blemished food items is still edible or can be purchased then used to make dishes like soups. Over-merchandizing can also be reduced to minimize food wastage.
Food recycling efforts are already underway but the technologies and methods used should be bettered. Starch-rich foodstuff such as crisps, bread, biscuits and breakfast cereals can for instance be recycled into high quality feeds for livestock.
The recycling of the food packaging materials can equally reduce over-exploitation of virgin material. If it’s completely unfit for consumption, it can still be converted for other uses instead of being taken to the landfills to emit methane gas.
Campaigns for reducing food footprint can help fishers, farmers, supermarkets, food processors, individual consumers, and the local and national governments to work on strategies for preventing food wastage. The UN and FAO have already launched such a campaign by putting emphasis on “Think Eat Save – Reduce Your Foodprint” campaign slogan. Moreover, with more and more of such campaigns, societies at large will be informed on ways for reducing foodprint and get the real facts about environmental impacts. Ultimately, it will aid in solving the problem of food wastage.
IndiaSpend’s analysis shows that to achieve zero hunger by 2030, India will have to lift 48,370 people out of hunger everyday. Food is the basic necessity of life, we simply cannot become a developed nation by only feeding the power hungry politicians and forget about 5 trillion dollar economy goal as claimed by the government. We can never achieve it if we lose out one of the most essential sectors of an economy.
Radhika Barman 