The 2013 UN FAO report entitled “The Food Wastage Footprint” stated that a third of the world’s food is wasted, making it the third-biggest carbon emitter. Every year around 1.3 billion tonnes of food, worth about $750 billion, equivalent to 3.3 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide (carbon footprint) is globally wasted. The wastage was due poor storage resulting in grain spoiling, and because consumers threw away what they did not feel like eating. India is responsible for both: how often we hear of rotting or rat-infested grain being unfit for human consumption, and almost every one (from all sections of society) wastes food on their plates. In 2014 the Union Minister for Food Processing Industries declared that 18% of the annual crop of fruits and vegetables valued at Rs 13,300 crore gets wasted. Together with grains the wastage stands at Rs 44,000.

The 2023 Global Hunger Index ranked India at 111 among the 125 developing countries. India’s score was 28.7 on a 100-point scale where 0 is the best score (no hunger) and 100 is the worst.

The prevalence of undernourishment in India was 16.6% as per the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report 2023. (Undernourishment or malnourishment can be hunger related whereas malnutrition arises due to an imbalanced diet: too much, too little, or wrong proportions of nutrients.)  

India’s under-5 mortality rate stands at 3.1% as per the United Nations Inter-Agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation January 2023.

Data from the Poshan Tracker consistently shows child wasting prevalence below 7.2% which is an improvement.

Child stunting was prevalent at 35.5% according to India’s National Family Survey 2019-2021.

A study the International Food Policy Research Institute that analysed and spatially mapped data from the NFHS (National Family Health Survey) 2015-16 on India’s high childhood stunting prevalence of 38.4% concluded that only focusing on health and nutrition related factors under the existing ICDS (Integrated Child Development Services) scheme wasn’t enough – there was a need to address gender related inequalities that concerned female education, nutrition, age at marriage, care taken during and after pregnancy, as well as the overall socio-economic status.

Environmentalists are not the only ones who are showing deep concern. Emerging markets' central banks and governments are no longer ignoring rising food prices coupled with low stocks of rice and wheat (inflation and hoarding) and protests of shortages resulting in social tensions. They know that converting land produce to meat is an expensive business, the direct effect of which is a steep rise in grain prices which hits the poor most.

In June 2015 Pope Francis’ encyclical on climate change stated “If present tends continue, this century may well witness extraordinary climate change and an unprecedented destruction of ecosystems, with serious consequences for all of us. Doomsday predictions can no longer be met with irony or disdain. We may well be leaving to coming generations, debris, desolation and filth. The idea of unlimited growth, so attractive to economists, is based on a lie that leads to the planet being squeezed dry beyond every limit. Current economics will not solve environmental problems and problems of global hunger and poverty will not be resolved by market growth. All is not lost. Human beings, while capable of the worst, are also capable of rising above themselves, choosing again what is good.”

An additional significant reason for hunger is that indirectly governments ensure that a section of their people remain far too poor to be able to buy enough food. Yet, grain that is available is sold to those who can afford it.

India ranks third in agricultural production which grew at 3% during the last 30 years and contributed towards 7% of the world’s produce, yet it doesn’t make it to the top 10 as exporter of agri-produce.

For example, while India’s poultry industry purchases large quantities of maize and soy to feed chickens, despite bumper crops, wheat and potatoes are routinely reported to be seen rotting out in the open (due to lack of granaries) having become unfit for human consumption. Grains, that could have as well been given away totally free, and not only to those who the government has ridiculously labelled as poor because they earn up to a mere Rs 32 per day.

Although the number of hungry people in the world has fallen sharply over the past decade, millions still do not have enough to eat, while grain fed to livestock is enough to feed nearly 2 billion people. In 2016 it was estimated that 1 of 10 persons worldwide, and 2 of 10 in India went to sleep on an empty stomach.

The FAO has forecast that food production will need to climb by 70% between 2010 and 2050 as the world population expands to 9 billion and rising incomes boost meat and dairy consumption.

If those living in developed countries do not stop eating meat, and if those of developing countries (who are liable to start eating meat when their incomes rise) include it as part of their diet, they will positively be hastening mass starvation of fellow humans on this planet.

Meanwhile, the consumption of meat in America is falling. As much as we would like it to be so, the numbers aren’t being driven by new vegetarians and vegans but the trend is in the right direction: a 2011 US poll found the number of vegetarians remained at about 5%, but 16% ate vegetarian food more than half time – a so-called “flexitarian” diet – and this was drastically bringing down meat consumption.

Beauty Without Cruelty feels that each and every one can easily help solve world hunger... by NOT eating meat, a second-hand food. And the good news is that it has been forecast that Indians will consume 50% more fruits and vegetables by 2030!