The first Chinese workshop focusing on catering lean management was launched in Beijing on May 13-14th, 2019. It was attended by 54 representatives from the domestic catering industry and the supply chain.
Several REFRESH activities were undertaken in China such as research, policy reports, data gathering, events and a school food waste solution contest.
Contact: Si Gao, IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute (China)
A voluntary agreement is a proven method for tackling food waste. By working together to achieve collective goals, organisations can collaborate and deliver change in the most efficient, effective way. Using practical examples from the REFRESH national programs, as well as WRAP’s UK success including Courtauld 2025, this guide outlines the steps necessary for building successful voluntary agreements.
The China Chain Store & Franchise Association (CCFA) Chain Catering Committee and CCFA China Sustainable Consumption Round-table jointly launched the "Voluntary Action Plan of CCFA Chain Catering Enterprises on Food Waste Reduction Initiative”. The launch event on March 13, 2019 in Shanghai was witnessed and participated by 500 Chinese catering companies, with nearly 1400 people present. This event was supported by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Environmental Programme (UN ENVIRONMENT), NET PLANET NETWORK, the IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute, and the REFRESH project team.
In September 2018, professionals from business, science, non-governmental and international organizations gathered in Beijing for the Food Waste Reduction-Action in China forum to advocate green consumption awareness and reduction in food waste.
The Food Waste Reduction China Action Platform is a partnership initiated by IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute, CCFA and CHEARI, guided by FAO, UNEP ‘Think, Eat, Save’, and supported by REFRESH, in the aim of supporting China to achieve SDG 12.3.
The press release on “Report on China Urban Catering Industry Food Waste ” was presented at the discussion seminar on “organizing China food waste reduction alliance” on Mar 24th, 2018. Around 100 representatives joined the event, including UN Environment, UN FAO, China Food Bureau, China Home Electronic Appliance Research Institute (CHEARI), China Chain Store & Franchise Association(CCFA) and other unviersities, foundations, enterprises, and research institutions, alliances and NGOs.
The IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute organizes a camp for youth from China to raise young people’s awareness about food waste. The camp includes visits to various locations within the whole food supply chain, covering food production, food transportation, food re-distribution, food consumption (in restaurants and at home) and food treatment.
A Sino-Nordic Seminar on Sustainable Food Systems and Food Waste was held on January 13-14, 2018, in Shanghai, China. Over 40 active researchers and stakeholders from the Nordic countries and China in the field of sustainable food systems and food waste shared experience and discussed potential directions of collaboration.
The contest, "Sustainable Development and Our Food – Reducing Food Waste: China Youth Environmental Protection Originality Contest", took place in China. Nearly a thousand innovative works by Chinese pupils reached the organizing committee, varying in forms like videos, paintings, photos, articles, etc. Ten works each were appraised and selected from primary schools and secondary schools.
A contest for raising awareness about food waste is taking place in China. It challenges participants to submit images or videos describing new ways to treat food waste, investigate the phenomenon and/or offer solutions for better promoting awareness on the issue. It builds on the previous REFRESH contest carried out in Europe.
Over 100 professionals from government, the business community, science institutions, non-governmental organizations and international organizations gathered in Beijing on November 26th 2016 to launch REFRESH in China and promote the knowledge-sharing initiative for the global measurement and reduction of food loss and waste.
REFRESH action in China is picking up speed, including research, a policy proposal, preparation of the national platform, funding applications, and kick-off conference preparation.
