China works to reduce food loss, waste

China has announced an action plan on Monday to reduce food loss and waste, aiming to establish a more sound long-term mechanism by the end of 2027.

The systems and standards surrounding food loss and waste will be improved, according to the plan, which was jointly released by the general offices of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council.

The plan targets reducing loss rates of grain and food during their production, storage, transportation and processing to below the average international levels by the end of 2027, and significantly decreasing per capita food waste per meal in the catering industry, government canteens, school canteens and enterprise canteens as well as curbing food waste.

It lists key tasks to reduce food loss and waste, including enhancing national awareness of saving food, anti-waste actions in the catering industry as well as in government canteens, and strengthening the gathering of food loss and waste statistics.

The new action plan targets achieving the United Nations' goal of halving global food waste by 2030.

According to the United Nations Environment Programme Food Waste Index Report 2024, the world wasted 1.05 billion tonnes of food in 2022. This represents 19 percent of food available to consumers, including waste at retail, food service and household levels. Additionally, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations estimates an extra 13 percent of food is lost in the supply chain, from post-harvest stages up to the retail point.

(With input from Xinhua; Cover via CFP)