As India takes over the BRICS 2026 Chairmanship, an important but often-ignored issue is food loss, which is now entering global policy discussions. The world usually focuses on how much food is produced? But an equally important question is how much food is lost before it reaches the consumers? The BRICS Member Countries together produce nearly 42% of the global food. They include some of the world’s largest producers, consumers and agricultural markets. Yet millions of tonnes of food are lost every year across farms, storage systems, transport networks, processing units, retail outlets and households.

At a time of rising food prices, climate stress, and supply chain disruptions, reducing food loss is no longer only an agricultural issue. It is also an economic, environmental and strategic priority. India’s decision to place food loss and waste on the BRICS agenda is, therefore, timely and significant.

Divergent realities of expanding BRICS

The BRICS of 2026 is very different from the grouping formed in 2009. With the addition of Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the bloc has become larger and more diverse. It now represents very different agricultural systems and food economies. Ethiopia depends heavily on smallholder and rain-fed farming. Russia is one of the world’s major grain exporters. Indonesia is a fast-growing urban food market. The UAE depends heavily on food imports and a large hospitality sector. These differences not only make policy coordination more complex, but they also create an opportunity for deeper South-South cooperation.

Distinct losses amid shared challenges

Food loss across BRICS follows a broad pattern. However, the reasons differ across countries due to their geographic locations, income levels, infrastructure, institutions and market systems. In countries such as Ethiopia, India, and Iran, food losses happen mainly at the farm and........

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