China will step up efforts to reduce the amount of grain lost in the harvest and food wasted in kitchens across the country, the government said Monday, as part of a broad action plan to further strengthen food security.
China last year launched a major campaign against food waste, led by President Xi Jinping amid growing concerns about food security during the COVID-19 epidemic.
While efforts so far have achieved “tangible results”, more can be done to build a “higher quality, more efficient and sustainable national food security system,” the government said in a program posted on its website.
She called for higher seed standards to promote resistant crop varieties, new technology for accurate wheat planting and smart and efficient harvesters.
It was further stated that Beijing will start offering subsidies for grain drying equipment to reduce post-harvest losses.
Transport and processing sectors were also included in the plan, while the animal feed sector encourages the use of more corn and soy substitutes and reduced protein levels, in line with an initiative released this year.
The catering sector as well as schools and government ministries should continue to manage food rations and avoid wasteful behavior, the government added.
The government will “deepen” its advertising efforts to shape public opinion on the subject and will also improve its data on the subject, including the establishment of an index system for waste assessment.
(Report by Dominic Patton; Edited by Himani Sarkar)
