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The paper examines food loss and waste in India, noting that post-harvest losses were valued at INR 926.51 billion in 2014. It identifies a lack of standardized measurement metrics and a scarcity of empirical research on household-level food waste and the social, economic, and environmental impacts of food loss. The authors recommend adopting the global Food Loss and Waste Accounting and Reporting Standard and establishing a multi-stakeholder action coalition to prioritize research and policy implementation.

The paper argues that while a sustainable food future ideally requires no further conversion of natural ecosystems, current yield trends and demand may make some cropland expansion inevitable. It critiques the vague concept of 'degraded lands' and instead proposes a strict four-part biophysical criteria to identify lands with 'low environmental opportunity costs'—those not already supporting crops, having minimal impact on biodiversity, low carbon loss ratios, and a low blue water footprint. To implement this, the author suggests a three-pronged approach: mapping these lands, providing legal and financial incentives for their use, and enforcing moratoriums or deforestation-free commitments to discourage expansion into high-cost natural ecosystems.