This study is based on the determinants of food wastage. Food loss and waste are food that is not consumed. The causes of food waste or loss occur throughout the food system, during production, processing, distribution, retail and food service sales, and consumption. Food wastage is a growing global issue contributing to pollution, resource loss, and food scarcity. The FAO (2023) estimates that nearly one third of food produced worldwide, about 1.3 billion tonnes, is lost or wasted each year. This worsens hunger and challenges the UNSDG 2 goal of Zero Hunger. Despite improved food production, around 735 million people still face chronic hunger (United Nations, 2023), showing how food wastage continues to hinder sustainable development. Food wastage also happens because of factors like household practices, psycho-social factors, and individual preferences & taste. The influence of these factors is analyzed in the present study and documented. The study’s findings are based on 120 respondents, which may limit generalizability to the wider Coimbatore population. Data collected was analyzed using PSPP software. The results reveal that individual preferences and taste, as well as household practices, have significantly predicted the dependent variable.
The most marginalized sections of society are the tribal population living in geographically remote, isolated hilly and forested areas far away from the mainstream. Their health status is still a cause for grave concern because of their isolation, remoteness, and shortage of medical facilities, which lack basic resources. The tribal population suffers not only from the risk of chronic conditions but is also least able to cope with the consequences, as the health infrastructure and the services available in the areas where they live lack both availability and quality. A state like Odisha has the unique distinction of having 62 different tribal communities that have been suffering from the problems of health and nutrition since time immemorial. The food supply in these areas is itself the main cause of malnutrition. Various communicable as well as non-communicable diseases are also on the rise, especially in rural areas. The prevalence rate of malaria is quite high among the sample population. One of the most critical concerns is the gap in the doctor-patient ratio. Further, traditional beliefs and practices, along with their unique cultural patterns, in turn, influence the health-seeking behavior of the community. Infectious diseases remain an unfinished agenda, while chronic non-communicable diseases and disability are rising at an alarming rate. The problems of the rural healthcare system and social determinants of health need to be addressed at both the macro (national and state) and micro (district and regional) levels to improve the prevailing situation and to reduce overall health inequalities.
