Patna: Urban India wastes maximum food, as most of the edible food is spoiled before people consume it.

Keeping this in mind, System Research Society, an NGO, organised a two-day campaign to increase awareness and reduce food wastage, enhance collaboration and synergy of initiatives on food waste reduction and increase adoption of good practices to reduce food wastage in specific value chains.

The System Research Society on Wednesday organised a seminar to create awareness about reducing food wastage at a city-based hotel and will undertake a march in this regard at Gandhi Maidan on Thursday.

"Several organisations are engaged in reducing food wastage and distributing food packets among the needy, but sharing food is not worth it unless we take action to stop food wastage," Lokayukta Justice (retd) Mihir Kumar Jha said. The approach of an individual towards food is of paramount importance to be able to curb this menace.

"We Indians are trained since childhood not to waste food but nowadays we see in schools and colleges children buy from canteens double the amount of food than what they actually need and consume. The remaining amount of food is just dumped," said Harjot Kaur Bamhrah, IAS. "I personally feel wastage of food takes place globally, nationally and locally and we only blame the government or society for wastage. But if we are really serious about the whole thing and want to stop it, we must first work in an individual household. Only then can we expect change from our society."

"Charity begins at home," NCC additional director-general Major General S. Sabhrawal said. "We only can bring change and if we really want to change then we need to change ourselves first. Sitting here and discussing hunger won't make us feel what hunger actually is, but the face of a hungry man sitting on the road side, knocking at your window and begging for food can bring you to the phase where you can understand the definition of hunger."

The Lokayukta inaugurated the campaign. Distinguished guests who formally launched the event include Harjot Kaur Bamhrah, Major General S. Sabhrawal and mentor Sri Babaji.