On the occasion of World Food Day, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah expressed concern that 943 tonnes of rice is wasted every year in Bengaluru city alone.
Addressing the World Food Day program organized by the Department of Food and Civil Supplies, the Chief Minister referred to a study by Bengaluru University of Agricultural Sciences which estimated food wastage in Bengaluru to be valued at ₹360 crore annually.
“I know the suffering of hunger and the value of rice – that’s why the Annabhagya program was introduced,” he said.
Recalling how poet Da Ra Bendre paid respect to farmers by describing them as Anna Brahmas, he said that wasting food is an insult to the gods. Considering the conscious waste of food as an act of arrogance towards food, he recalled that Mahatma Gandhi called wasting food a sin.
“We used to depend on America for rice and now we have progressed to export it to other countries. But it is unfortunate that food waste is also increasing,” he noted.
Published – 16 Oct 2025 23:13 IST
