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A market-shaping strategy takes root in Rourkela, India, that has lessons for cities worldwide

Nature Cities volume 2, pages 562–563 (2025)Cite this article

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One billion tonnes of food are thrown out globally each year. The economic toll is approximately US $1 trillion. Food waste also accounts for 8–10% of total emissions, a bigger carbon footprint than that of all commercial buildings combined. In 2015, the United Nations agreed to cut food waste by 50%. Five years from the target date, efforts at the national level have been slow.

In India, the situation is acute. The country ranks high in agricultural production, but 40% is squandered annually2,3. Farmers lose an estimated $12.5 million each year owing to inadequate cold storage and an ineffective management system4. Throughout India, private cold rooms serve bigger suppliers and are too expensive for smaller farmers and vendors to use.

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References

  1. SDG Local Action. Municipal solutions for storage and selling fresh food products. sdglocalaction.org https://sdglocalaction.org/municipal-solutions-for-selling-fresh-products (2024).

  2. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. FAO in India. fao.org https://www.fao.org/india/fao-in-india/india-at-a-glance (2025).

  3. The CSR Journal. World Food Day: food wastage in India, its implications on nutrition and sustainability. thecsrjournal.in https://thecsrjournal.in/food-wastage-in-india-a-serious-concern-3/ (2024).

  4. Gaon Connection. Post-harvest cold storage unit puts smiles back on the faces of farmers in Odisha. gaonconnection.com https://www.gaonconnection.com/english/cold-storages-in-india-base-odisha-cold-chain-farmers-post-harvest-losses-incomes-preservation-markets-coldivate-app-solar-power-51321/ (2022).

  5. Climate Data. Rourkela climate. climate-data.org https://en.climate-data.org/asia/india/odisha/rourkela-55526/ (2025).

  6. The New Indian Express. Tomato distress for both consumers and farmers in Odisha. newindianexpress.com https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/odisha/2023/Jul/06/tomato-distress-forboth-consumers-and-farmers-in-odisha-2591940.html (2023).

  7. Times of India. Urban unemployment rate for July-Sept at 20.9%. indiatimes.com https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhubaneswar/urban-unemployment-rate-for-july-sept-at-20-9/articleshow/105642509.cms (2023).

  8. United Nations Development Programme. The Rourkela Cold Rooms Project. Undp.org https://www.undp.org/sites/g/files/zskgke326/files/2025-04/rourkela-guidelines_undp.pdf (2025).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Government Innovation Program at Bloomberg Philanthropies https://www.bloomberg.org/government-innovation/

    Brooke Smith

  2. Rourkela Municipal Corporation, Rourkela, India

    Ashutosh Kulkarni

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  1. Brooke Smith
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  2. Ashutosh Kulkarni
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Correspondence to Brooke Smith.

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Smith, B., Kulkarni, A. A market-shaping strategy takes root in Rourkela, India, that has lessons for cities worldwide. Nat Cities 2, 562–563 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44284-025-00266-2

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