September 29 marks the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), an estimated 13.2% of food produced globally, equivalent to 1.25 billion tonnes, is lost after harvest and before reaching retail. 

As food travels from fields to tables, it passes through multiple stages including planting, harvesting, storage, transportation and processing. Reducing losses at each stage has become a critical component of safeguarding food security. In recent years, the accelerated application of smart agriculture, intelligent machinery, green grain storage and digital monitoring technologies has provided strong support for ensuring that every grain makes it to the granary.

In the field harvest stage, intelligent agricultural machinery is transforming traditional practices. According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, China's wheat, rice and corn mechanized harvest loss rates in 2024 were 0.93%, 1.76% and 2.06%, respectively, representing a reduction of 1 to 2 percentage points compared with 2021. Over three years, more than 25 million tonnes of grain losses were reduced. In east China's Shandong Province, the average mechanized wheat harvest loss rate reached 0.81% in 2024.

According to data released by the National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration in October 2025, based on surveys over the past three years, the comprehensive loss rate during grain storage periods in grain depots is kept below 1%, with losses mainly consisting of natural reductions as a result of moisture and impurities. The administration launched its first batch of 30 demonstration sites for integrated green grain storage technologies in 2025, with the "five-in-one" technology system gradually being refined.

Regarding broader grain circulation, Qin Yuyun, deputy director of the National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration, stated at a press conference held by the State Council Information Office on October 14, 2025, that in recent years, the average annual grain loss during storage, processing and transportation accounted for approximately 2% of total annual grain production. The loss rate during grain transportation has been reduced to 0.8 per thousand.

The Action Plan for Food Saving and Anti-Food Waste, issued by the General Offices of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council on November 25, 2024, sets clear targets: by the end of 2027, grain loss rates in production, storage, transportation and processing should be controlled below the international average level. As agricultural science and technology continue to penetrate the entire industrial chain, the concept that “reducing loss is increasing grain” is being translated into tangible results.