The world wasted an estimated 19 per cent of the food produced globally in 2022, or about 1.05 billion metric tons, according to this new report by the UNEP.

A working group under the Niti Aayog said an 'open-ended' procurement of wheat and rice from farmers at MSP acts as a disincentive for crop diversification, and suggested that the Centre should purchase these commodities only to meet the requirement under the food law and other welfare schemes.

In a recent global policy report published by the Food System Economics Commission, a multinational and multidisciplinary team of over forty researchers carried out the most ambitious food economic study yet to evaluate means by which the food system could be economically improved.

Access to safe and nutritious food is essential for good health and is linked to Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 2: Zero Hunger and SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being.

The global agrifood systems impose huge hidden costs on our health, the environment and society, equivalent to at least US$10 trillion a year, according to this analysis by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), covering 154 countries.

The current structure of the global food system is increasingly recognized as unsustainable.

The Standing Committee on Food, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution in its report titled Coarse grains production and distribution, said Considering the fact that more and more states are opting for millets, with a view to encourage remaining states to opt for nutritious and healthy millets in combination with rice and wheat, the committee suggest the Govt of India to explore the possibility of distributing millets in addition to rice and wheat under TPDS and other welfare schemes.

Overweight and obesity rates across low- and middle-income countries have approached levels found in high-income countries. While overweight and obesity are more prevalent in urban areas, they are also on the rise in rural areas. Little research has been conducted on the effects of food systems on overweight and obesity.

The challenges facing contemporary production and consumption patterns are reflected most clearly in the agri-food system, which accounts for one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions. Technological advances have led to homogenous agricultural landscapes and the standardisation of animal breeds, which places the expansion of farming at risk.

Almost 258 million people in 58 countries faced acute food shortages last year due to conflicts, climate change, effects of the coronavirus pandemic and the war in Ukraine, according to this United Nations report, a sharp rise from 193 million the previous year.