On Monday, China unveiled a comprehensive action plan to reduce food loss and waste, aiming to establish a robust long-term mechanism by the end of 2027.
Jointly released by the general offices of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council, the plan seeks to improve the systems and standards surrounding food loss and waste.
By the end of 2027, China aims to reduce the loss rates of grain and food during production, storage, transportation, and processing to below international average levels. The plan also focuses on significantly decreasing per capita food waste per meal in the catering industry, government canteens, school cafeterias, and enterprise dining facilities.
The action plan outlines key tasks such as enhancing national awareness of saving food, implementing anti-waste actions in the catering industry and government canteens, and strengthening the collection of food loss and waste statistics.
This initiative aligns with the United Nations’ goal of halving global food waste by 2030.
According to the United Nations Environment Programme’s Food Waste Index Report 2024, the world wasted 1.05 billion tonnes of food in 2022, representing 19 percent of food available to consumers. Additionally, the Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that an extra 13 percent of food is lost in the supply chain from post-harvest stages up to retail.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
