S. Harchand Singh Barsat, Chairman, National Council of State Agricultural Marketing Boards (COSAMB) and Punjab State Agricultural Marketing Board, participated in the prestigious Asian Regional Symposium on “Shaping the Future for Transforming Food Loss and Waste – Best Practices from Fruit and Vegetable Wholesale Markets in Asia.” The international conference was jointly organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), World Union of Wholesale Markets (WUWM) and Council of State Agricultural Marketing Boards (COSAMB).
The symposium was hosted by the Government of Gujarat, Surat Municipal Corporation and Surat Wholesale Market authorities, positioning Surat as a benchmark city for sustainable wholesale markets and circular economy practices. The high-level conference witnessed the participation of several eminent international and national dignitaries, including Mr. Takayuki Hagiwara, FAO Representative in India; Ms. Valérie Vion, General Secretary, World Union of Wholesale Markets; Mr. Ma Zengjun, Chairman, Asia-Pacific Regional Group, WUWM; Mr. Daxesh Mavani, Hon’ble Mayor of Surat; and Mr. Sandeep Desai, Hon’ble MLA, Chorayasi (Surat) and Chairman, Surat APMC.
Senior officials, policymakers, technical experts and technology providers attended the symposium from Japan, Hong Kong, Korea, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Philippines, Bhutan, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Malaysia, UAE, Thailand and China, along with participants from France and other regions. Representatives from leading national and international organizations such as GAIL India, World Resources Institute (WRI), KRIBHCO, Indian Food Banking Network, Asian Development Bank (ADB), Bioeconomy Development Corporation Malaysia, Ministry of National Development Planning Indonesia, IIT Kharagpur, NDDB, BHU, NIFTEM, and officials from State Agricultural Marketing Boards across India were also present.
Addressing the gathering, Mr. Harchand Singh Barsat delivered a comprehensive keynote on behalf of COSAMB, welcoming delegates and emphasizing that Asia produces over 70 percent of the world’s fresh fruits and vegetables, while wholesale markets play a vital role in ensuring urban food and nutrition security. He pointed out that these markets also generate significant organic waste, making them central to climate action, sustainable urban governance and circular economy solutions.
Mr. Barsat underlined the importance of the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2024, which classify APMCs and wholesale markets as bulk waste generators, mandating source segregation, in-situ processing and scientific waste treatment. He stated that COSAMB views these regulations not merely as compliance requirements, but as an opportunity to modernize markets, improve infrastructure, create employment, enhance farmer incomes and unlock climate finance and carbon market opportunities.
He highlighted innovative technologies discussed during the symposium, including Bio-CNG and biomethane plants, advanced pre-treatment systems, Black Soldier Fly–based waste valorisation, banana fibre processing, enzyme-based decomposition, digital waste tracking and carbon credit assessment. These solutions, he said, demonstrate how food waste can be transformed into renewable energy, bio-fertilizers and economic value.
Mr. Barsat particularly appreciated the Surat Wholesale Market’s 50-TPD Bio-CNG plant. Concluding his address, Mr. Harchand Singh Barsat emphasized that wholesale markets are central to the future of sustainable food systems in Asia. With the right policies, partnerships and technologies, he said, these markets can emerge as hubs of climate action, circular economy, food security and inclusive growth.
The symposium also focused on strengthening regional cooperation, attracting large-scale investments, developing platforms to track food loss and waste, enhancing linkages with food banks, and promoting collaboration among governments, market authorities, investors and innovators.