According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, a third of all food produced for human consumption is wasted annually at a cost of some $680 billion in developed countries and $ 310 billion in developing countries. According to FAO, fruits and vegetables, plus roots and tubers have the highest wastage rates of any food. Global quantitative food losses and waste per year are roughly 30% for cereals, 40-50% for root crops, fruits, and vegetables, 20% for oilseeds, meat and dairy plus 35% for fish. Our idea contributes to a solution for UN SDGs no 2 and 12 of Zero Hunger & Responsible Consumption&Production respectively. Food loss and waste amount to a major squandering of resources, including water, land, energy, labor, and capital. For example, 214 liters of water are required to produce 1 kg of tomatoes every 1 kg of tomatoes saved from waste saves 214 liters of the precious resource of water.
SavFood is a social enterprise working in food waste management to convert food waste like excess perishable produce, food scraps and residual waste streams from food processing industry such as fruit peels, green tops from tubers and fruit cores and vegetable scraps as well as excess produce into healthy, affordable food for urban populations. Various ways of treating perishable produce such as dehydration, pulpification, and fortification of root crops, fruits and vegetables will not only save them from being wasted but will also increase the shelflife up to three years if properly prepared and stored.
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