UNIDO Calls for Halving Post-Harvest Food Losses to Feed 1 Billion People and Cut $2.6 Trillion Waste Worldwide
SDG 1: No Poverty | SDG 2: Zero Hunger | SDG 13: Climate Action
Institutions: Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare
The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) report, “Transforming Postharvest Systems to End Hunger,” argues that postharvest loss, not low production, is the biggest barrier to achieving Zero Hunger. It finds that the world already produces enough food to feed the projected 10 billion population in 2050 — but 2.3 billion tonnes of food, nearly 30% of all production, is lost or wasted annually. This inefficiency carries a $2.6 trillion yearly cost and leaves 713–757 million people hungry.
Post-harvest losses are responsible for 8–10% of global greenhouse gas emissions, making food loss and waste the third-largest emitter after the United States and China. They also consume 24% of global freshwater, 23% of cropland and 23% of fertiliser. Yet, only 21 of 193 countries include food-loss action in their NDCs under the Paris Agreement.
Developing economies — especially South Asia — lose more than 40% of food during post-harvest, processing and packaging, with South Asia’s post-harvest loss estimated at 17.6%. The report identifies South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia as priority regions for intervention.
UNIDO argues halving food losses could feed ~1 billion people and is more cost-effective than increasing production. The plan emphasises modern post-harvest systems: Integrated Agro-Food Parks (IAFPs), Agribusiness Transformation Hubs, technical support for modern packaging, strengthened Food Safety 2.0 systems, and mobilising climate finance through GEF and GCF. UNIDO’s IAFPs have shown up to 25% reduction in post-harvest loss (Ethiopia).
Reducing food loss aligns with India’s PM-Kisan SAMPADA Yojana and agro-processing infrastructure goals. As South Asia is a priority region with 17.6% post-harvest loss, and 40%-plus pre-retail stage loss, targeted investment in storage, cold chains, packaging, food-safety systems and agro-processing clusters can deliver nutrition security, farmer incomes, climate gains and resource efficiency while easing pressure on production systems.
What is Postharvest Loss? → Postharvest Loss is the measurable reduction in the quality and quantity of foodstuffs that arise after the point of harvest and continues along the supply chain up to the final consumption stage. In developing economies like India, most loss occurs at the initial stages, such as poor handling, inadequate storage, and weak processing capabilities.
What is UNIDO?→ The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) is a UN specialised agency that UNIDO helps countries industrialise in a way that creates jobs, strengthens value chains, and supports climate-resilient, low-carbon growth.
Follow the full report here: Transforming Postharvest Systems to End Hunger