Food waste is a huge problem. The methane released from rotting food is one of the major contributors to the carbon footprint of agriculture. Then there is the carbon footprint from the resources used to grow the food. If you think this is a developed market problem, it\u2019s not – India also loses one-third of the food grown though for different reasons. India suffers from \u2018food loss\u2019 which is during the growing, harvesting, and distribution phase, while the developed countries have more \u2018food waste\u2019 which is at the consumer level. The irony is that only a few decades ago, we didn\u2019t have enough food. And that we also have malnutrition and farmer distress even today.<\/p>\n
While it\u2019s complex to reform the whole agricultural system, one that has been distorted through subsidies, support prices, GMOs, etc, there are some low-hanging fruit solutions. The tomatoes being dumped on the roadside can be saved while helping the farmers and the climate.<\/p>\n
Our guest in the latest episode of the climate conversations has one such solution – a portable, solar-powered dehydrator.<\/p>\n