India's Food Security Under Threat: Climate Change Wreaks Havoc on Farms, Mandis, and Kitchens

The impact of climate change in India is no longer limited to farms, but has reached mandis, food supplies, and common people's kitchens. The impact of El Niño and weak storage systems is causing a major crisis in the country's food security. According to Climate Trends'new white paper, From Risk to Resilience: Climate Change, Ecology and the Future of Indian Agriculture, India is losing about $13 billion in food every year due to weak cold chains and climate risks. About 40 percent of fruits and vegetables produced in India are lost before they reach consumers, while 5 to 6 percent of grain is wasted. Only 4 percent of fresh produce in the country is covered by cold chain facilities. Extreme heat and unseasonal rains exacerbate post-harvest losses. For example, in the scorching summer of 2024, Delhi's Azadpur mandi ran out of mangoes in a single day.