A student is on the way to return his empty plate at a primary school in Changning District of Shanghai, east China, Sept. 2, 2020. The school promotes the "Clear Your Plate" campaign to stem food waste as new semester begins. (Xinhua/Ding Ting)

China has issued an action plan on saving food to push forward the implementation of the Anti Food Waste Law that was adopted in April on the backdrop of a potential world food shortage. 

Food prices have been spiking globally, partly due to the disrupted global food supply chain. The global Agricultural Commodity Price Index stabilized in the third quarter of 2021 but remains 25% higher than a year ago, according to the World Bank. 

In China, people have been complaining about the vegetable prices that are skyrocketing. Other food categories also became more expensive.

Yemenis buy grains on a market in Sanaa, Yemen on Aug. 24, 2021. More than half of Yemenis are facing crisis levels of food insecurity, and 5 million people are one step away from famine. As the value of the Yemeni rial continues to plummet, more and more Yemenis are being pushed to the brink.(Photo: Xinhua)

The action plan issued recently emphasized the goal of reducing waste from production to consumption, vowing to continue the "clean plate campaign" and effectively rein in the food waste. 

The action plan has 28 specific requirements and on the consumption end, it urged the catering industry and canteens to offer small-sized food, advising customers on ordering and monitoring the purchase and use of food. 

A diet of whole grain will be promoted among the public to replace the past diet depending heavily on deeply processed grains. 

Leftovers should be categorized for further use, perhaps as animal feed. Byproducts such as bran in processing food should also be put to good use. 

In the storage and transportation process, farmers are encouraged to use dryers instead of drying them in open air. Scientific storage should be adopted and local transportation conditions should be improved to avoid waste, read the action plan.  

In the production, better crop species and seeds should be selected to increase harvest and agricultural machines should be optimized to reduce waste in farming and harvest. Operators will receive specific training to achieve the goal.

On public awareness, videos featuring people eating large quantities of food and other media contents that could cause food waste are banned. And people are encouraged to change the tradition of holding extravagant banquets for events.

China will also enhance cooperation on reducing food waste with the world, including exchanges on techniques and personnel. 

Global Times