Celebrate World

Food Day

2026 With Smart Ways To Shop Local And Seasonal Foods

It is World Food Day 2026, falling on Friday, 16 October, when everyone is reminded by the theme of the Food and Agriculture Organisation, "Innovate Today. Nourish Tomorrow.", that every mealtime is a decision. As per the WHO, there were 733 million hungry people in the year 2023, but almost one out of five edible foods go to waste. Buying local and seasonal foods is an example of such an approach, which is both practical and applicable on a daily basis. Swipe to know how to start.

Seasonal refers to consuming the fruit in the season when it is produced naturally in your locality, whereas local indicates that the crop has been grown close to your purchasing location. The two combined will give you better flavour, freshness, and affordability because the availability will be high. Transportation contributes no more than six per cent to the carbon footprint of food, so food content is very important. But seasonal crops do not consume energy for greenhouse heating and refrigeration.

The produce season chart of India is amazing. Winter produce from around November to February comprises carrots, peas, spinach, mustard leaves, cauliflower, radish, oranges and amla. Mangoes, watermelon, muskmelon, litchi and bottle gourd come during the summer months. Monsoon brings corn, jamun, lady's fingers and bitter gourd. Post-monsoon months from around October see produce of custard apple, pomegranate, guava and singhara, which is water chestnut. There can be variations in the timing of the produce season according to states and climatic conditions. So consider this as a guide only and observe the produce being stacked highest on vendors' tables.

Three seasons are involved in the agricultural production cycle in India. The Kharif season involves planting during June/July with the monsoon and harvesting in September/October, and examples include rice, maize, bajra, jowar, ragi, and arhar. The Rabi season sees planting taking place in October/November and harvesting in March/April, and examples include wheat, chickpea, mustard, barley, and peas. The Zaid season falls between the two and includes vegetables like watermelon, cucumber, and muskmelon. Understanding these seasonal differences will help you predict what new grains and pulses are harvested at particular times of the year.

Begin with those places that are nearest to the area. Local sabzi mandis, haats, and farmers' markets allow you to talk with farmers or merchants who know when the produce was harvested. Wholesale centres like the Azadpur Mandi in Delhi, which happens to be the biggest fruit and vegetable market in Asia, indicate what is abundant for that particular week. On the internet, the Agmarknet website gives daily prices from mandis, while eNAM facilitates trading between farmers and consumers of different states. The first thing to ask each seller is about the origin of the produce.

Let the fruits speak for themselves. Peak-season fruits and veggies are always fresher and aromatic, apart from being economical compared to those that are off-season. Watch out for Geographical Indications marks to identify products associated with their native place, such as Nagpur Oranges, Ratnagiri Alphonso Mangoes, and Kashmir Saffron. For packaged organic foods, look out for the Jaivik Bharat mark of FSSAI. The use of Calcium Carbide is forbidden in India for ripening fruits, so only buy from reliable vendors. Also, don’t ignore the distorted produce, because taste is more important than appearance.

Sustainable eating transcends grocery store purchases. Add variety to your diet by including drought-resistant millets like ragi, bajra, and jowar, celebrated by the United Nations in the International Year of Millets 2023. Include pulses for protein from local sources that are affordable and sustainable. Eat more plant-based dishes and buy dairy and seafood from nearby places. Seasonal abundance was once stored through pickle making, chutney making, drying of veggies and making of papads, processes that preserved food without much need for refrigerators. This makes for a very sustainable way of enjoying summer tastes during winters.

According to the UNEP Food Waste Index 2024, the global figure for food wastage for the year 2022 is estimated at 1.05 billion tonnes, of which the household sector accounted for 60%. According to the UNEP Food Waste Index Report 2024, Indian households generate an estimated 78.2 million tonnes of food waste annually (averaging about 55 kg per person per year), ranking India second globally after China. Shop in smaller batches, store vegetables in cloth, use vegetable scraps in gravies, and freeze any extra food. On this World Food Day, pick one seasonal product per week and know the story behind it.