Chinese food waste and policy context

Along with the fast develoment of China, food waste phenomenon is becoming more and more serious which hinders China from being sustainable. China’s 19^th Congress Report has put strong emphasis on ecological civilization construction, of which green and low carbon consumption are central components. The reduction of food waste is highly relevant to Chinese policy and the global SDGs.

New report presents food waste numbers for four Chinese cities

A report is made on the catering industry of Chinese typical cities, and it shows that the average waste of the samples in four cities in China (Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu and Lasa) is around 12%. The food waste by youth on campuses is notably larger. One measurement shows that students waste 1/3 of the food provided in box lunches.

The report was presented and discussed at a multi-stakeholder discussion seminar in March 2018. The meeting featured a multi-stakeholder dialogue on collaboration among different stakeholders to combat food waste in China. Jointly held by Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and WWF, the discussion seminar was supported by IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute (IVL) and All China Environment Federation (ACEF). 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.