The wastage of food is substantial in every country, but some studies have shown that it is more serious in developing countries. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization had estimated that one-third of all produced food may be getting wasted. The world produces twice the amount of food that is needed, but large numbers of people are deprived of it due to wastage and other reasons.

Food gets wasted at the farm, when it moves to the market and is processed, stored and shifted to shops, and finally in the kitchen. Many fruits and vegetables perish soon after harvesting. There is a need to improve production and storage practices, transport and infrastructure, cold chain systems and processing techniques.

Modern technologies and packaging methods are needed, and popular awareness must be improved so that food is not wasted at any stage. China has launched a clean plate campaign against wastage.

It is estimated that food worth at least Rs. 1 lakh crore is wasted in India, not including cooked food, and a part of that would be enough to feed the country's hungry, in a nation ranked 94 out of 107 in the global hunger index. The UN report says that reducing food waste would also cut greenhouse gas emissions and slow the destruction of nature through land conversion and pollution, so avoiding food wastage should become a national mission with positive environmental, social and economic impacts.