Food Loss and Waste in the Food Supply Chain
About 30% of all food produced worldwide never reaches consumers, costing around US $1 trillion a year and wasting the equivalent of 4.4 Gt of CO₂ emissions. With the global population set to reach 9.1 billion by 2050—requiring a 70% increase in food availability—reducing these losses is both an economic and climate imperative.
Seeking End to Loss and Waste of Food along Production Chain
In developing countries, 30–40% of food is lost before market, with root crops and perishables losing up to half; in affluent regions, consumers toss nearly 10 kg per person each month. Saving just one quarter of this lost or wasted food could feed the 870 million undernourished people on Earth four times over.
Contribution of Organic Agriculture to Climate Change Mitigation
Organic farming systems capture and store significant amounts of carbon—between 0.25 and 11 t of carbon per hectare per year depending on the system—and emit 10–40% fewer greenhouse gases per hectare than conventional farms. Their combined effect could sequester up to one-third of annual human-caused emissions if widely adopted.
Organic Agriculture and Climate Change
By foregoing mineral fertilisers, organic practices can cut agricultural emissions by about 20%, while enhanced soil carbon storage can offset another 40–72% of sector emissions. Organic systems also bolster resilience through diversified cropping and improved soil health, often matching or exceeding conventional yields in low-input settings.
High Tech, High Yields? The Kenyan Farmers Deploying AI to Increase Productivity
Kenyan farmers using AI advice apps saw coffee yields jump from 2.3 t/ha to 7.3 t/ha, a more than 200% increase, while optimising fertiliser use and reducing input costs. AI plant-disease diagnostics likewise transformed pest control from guesswork to targeted treatment, cutting losses significantly.
Space Data Fuels India’s Farming Innovation Drive
Satellite-based insights lifted one farmer’s corn profit from ₹5,000–10,000 to ₹20,000 per acre and helped another 30,000-plot project boost yields by 30% and revenues by 37%. India’s agri-space market is poised to grow from about US $5 billion in 2023 to over $11 billion by 2032.