# Transforming Food Waste into Optimism Amidst Climate Challenges
Written on
Chapter 1: The Problem with Bananas
At home, when bananas become overripe, it signals the perfect moment to whip up some banana bread, a favorite snack for my mountain adventures. I often let them blacken for a richer taste. In Patagonia, bananas, which predominantly come from northern regions of my country, are never wasted.
India leads the globe in banana production, yielding 34.5 million tonnes annually. However, it also faces a staggering issue of food waste, discarding 68.8 million tonnes each year—second only to China, which wastes an estimated 91.6 million tonnes. This presents a significant challenge for India, where approximately 16.6% of the population is undernourished—over 237 million individuals. The food squandered could potentially nourish at least half of these people, but the primary cause of spoilage is inadequate refrigeration throughout the supply chain.
With extreme heatwaves becoming more frequent, like the current scorching temperatures exceeding 49°C (120°F), the situation is deteriorating. High temperatures accelerate spoilage, compelling farmers, wholesalers, and street vendors to offload their produce hastily, which diminishes profits and increases waste.
This issue is epitomized by bananas.
A Chain of Spoiled Bananas
Transporting food from farms to consumers is a race against decay. The food industry has spent a century developing a complex supply chain to combat this. This involves washing, drying, and storing food in refrigerated vehicles and shipping containers, all designed to extend freshness from the source to your plate. This system has effectively misled consumers in the well-stocked supermarkets of the West into believing that food is available year-round, allowing for raspberries, avocados, and bananas to be on the menu shortly after harvest, regardless of their origin.
Moving goods across a nation of 1.4 billion people is an immense challenge. For instance, delivering bananas to wholesale markets in Bhubaneswar, eastern India, requires trucks to travel nearly 1,000 kilometers for up to 24 hours from farms in Andhra Pradesh. In the fiscal year 2020-21, India lost an estimated 1.53 trillion rupees ($18.4 billion) worth of food, with a significant portion attributed to spoiled fruit.
To mitigate heat during transport, bananas are covered with banana leaves, but this is far from a comprehensive solution. The lack of sufficient refrigerated trucks and storage facilities to keep fruits and vegetables cool after harvest exacerbates the problem. Despite a 35% to 50% subsidy from the Indian government for building such facilities, many argue that the costs remain too high.
So, what happens when temperatures soar? Farmers, already struggling, face losses of up to 30%. Each spoiled bunch, typically containing 80 to 130 bananas, results in losses of about 150 rupees ($1.80), impacting their already tight margins. Consequently, most farmers rush to sell at whatever price opportunistic brokers dictate, who take advantage of the heat by paying significantly less than in cooler months and only purchasing what they can sell the same day, affecting availability. Ultimately, these losses trickle down to consumers.
As temperatures remain extreme, bananas are often kept in the shade until evening; otherwise, they turn black in the scorching heat.
Chapter 2: The Global Food System Crisis
Food waste is a pervasive issue at every stage of the journey from farm to table. Vegetables are discarded for being the wrong size, grains fall off conveyor belts, milk spoils in transit, fruits rot on store shelves, and meat deteriorates in packaging. Even leftovers at home often end up in the bin.
According to the UNEP's Food Waste Index Report 2024, 19%—or 1.05 billion tonnes—of global food production is wasted, in addition to 13% lost in the supply chain. In developing nations like India, approximately 40% of losses occur during post-harvest and processing stages. This is evident in the handling of bananas throughout the supply chain.
The stark reality is that one in every three trucks carrying fresh food is essentially serving as a garbage truck. Disturbingly, all this wasted food could feed at least two billion people—more than double the number of undernourished individuals worldwide. A recent report from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that the hidden costs of our failing food system exceed $10 trillion annually—about 10% of global GDP.
Food waste poses not just a social crisis but an environmental one too. Decomposing food in landfills generates methane, a greenhouse gas much more potent than CO2, contributing to 8% of global emissions. If food waste were a country, it would rank as the third-largest CO2 emitter after the USA and China. Moreover, wasted food signifies wasted resources, time, and energy.
Chapter 3: Building a Sustainable Future
Climate change manifests itself in various forms across seasons and regions. Here in Patagonia, as we approach the winter solstice, the ski season has not yet commenced, but I've already enjoyed some memorable powder days. The transitions from summer to winter have become increasingly abrupt and, at times, overwhelming.
Simultaneously, about 70% of the world's landmass and 90% of its population in the northern hemisphere are gearing up for the summer solstice and the oppressive heat that follows. Last year, in early July, we experienced the hottest days on Earth in the last 120,000 years. Since then, we've faced the hottest year on record, with twelve consecutive months of unprecedented temperatures, including May.
Currently, Asia is enduring a severe heatwave. Is it comforting that the Indian government has stated that the provisional record temperature of 52.9°C (127.22°F) recorded last week in New Delhi was erroneous due to a sensor malfunction? Certainly not, as the heat record in New Delhi still seems to have been surpassed, with reported temperatures reaching 49.1°C (120.38°F).
The dire consequences of such climate stress are evident, with desperate individuals crowding around water trucks and birds collapsing on the streets. This extreme heat is claiming lives, and the death toll will rise once mortality statistics are fully assessed. However, the majority of the 33 million residents in Delhi will endure not only the oppressive heat but also the pollution from vehicles, cooking fires, and factories.
This crisis is not exclusive to Delhi; it's a worldwide concern. Over the past year of record-breaking heat, the average global citizen has experienced 26 additional days of unseasonably high temperatures.
Mexico is also grappling with severe heat, resulting in monkeys falling from trees as residents protest for water trucks amid the looming threat of water scarcity. Gaza, already facing dire conditions, has encountered extreme, unseasonal heat, exacerbating its already inhumane living circumstances.
This narrative could extend indefinitely. Each year, the months surrounding the solstice transform into an endurance test that grows increasingly desperate. However, to comprehend and resolve the global energy crisis, we must focus on the broader picture: humanity is in a unique position to create a sustainable future.
I consider myself an optimist, but not a naive one. True optimism involves the belief that we can take actionable steps toward making a difference. As Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Romer articulates, there are two types of optimism: 'complacent optimism' and 'conditional optimism.' The former is akin to a child eagerly awaiting a gift, while the latter resembles a child contemplating building a treehouse. 'If I gather some wood and nails and convince other kids to lend a hand, we could create something remarkable.' This philosophy resonates with me.
Even as we encounter "unprecedented," "uncharted," and "unpredictable" circumstances, the world is innovating and constructing impressive solutions. The pace of renewable energy capacity expansion surged by 50% last year. Recent reports indicate that wind and solar energy are developing faster than any electricity source in history, even outpacing fossil fuels.
In India, coal-generated power has dipped below 50% for the first time since 1966, and there are indications that 2023 may mark the peak of global emissions, thanks to the rise of renewable energy. It is crucial to expedite this decline to align with the realities of global warming.
The current situation is indeed alarming, but the narrative is far from concluded. The world requires more urgent, conditional optimism.
So, speak up and advocate for change.
Thank you for your attentive reading and support! Join the 500+ Antarctic Sapiens community for weekly insights and updates.