Yesterday, the General Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the General Office of the State Council announced the "Action Plan for Food Conservation and Anti-Food Waste," further establishing a normalized mechanism for food conservation and anti-food waste throughout the entire chain.

The overall goal proposed in the action plan is to control the loss rate of food production, storage, transportation, and processing below the international average level by the end of 2027, with a significant reduction in per capita food waste in the catering industry, government canteens, and corporate canteens.

Food conservation and loss reduction

Guide moderate processing to improve the yield of grain and oil products

In the "Food Conservation and Loss Reduction Action" section, there are four main contents: strengthen the reduction of losses in mechanized grain harvesting. Develop technical guidelines and quality standards for mechanized harvesting of rice, corn, wheat, and soybeans, promote technologies such as centralized seedling raising and precision sowing, and guide farmers to harvest at the right time. Accelerate the high-quality development of the agricultural machinery equipment industry, strengthen innovation and research and development of agricultural machinery, and implement subsidies for the purchase and application of agricultural machinery.

Reduce losses in food storage. Promote scientific grain storage tools suitable for local conditions, actively guide farmers in scientific grain storage, and gradually solve the problem of "grain lying on the ground."

Strengthen the reduction of losses in food transportation. Deepen the construction of dedicated railway lines, dedicated terminals, bulk grain transfer, and supporting facilities, promote specialized loading and unloading machinery and other food transportation equipment, and continuously improve food transportation infrastructure.

Reduce losses in food processing. Guide moderate food processing, reasonably determine indicators such as food processing precision, and improve the yield of grain and oil products. Promote the standardization of moderate food processing, apply technologies such as light milling and high-precision sieving, and promote equipment such as low-temperature rice milling and flexible rice milling. Deepen the reduction and substitution of feed grains, fully explore and utilize alternative resources such as miscellaneous grains, miscellaneous meals, and by-products of food processing, and strengthen the resource utilization of by-products such as rice bran, bran, and germ.

Enhance awareness of food conservation

Reduce food waste at home and individually

The "Plan" proposes to enhance the awareness of food conservation among the entire population. First, it is necessary to reduce food waste at home and individually. Deepen research on healthy diets for Chinese residents, publish recommended intake ranges for five major categories of food: grains and tubers, fruits and vegetables, meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and dairy, soybeans and nuts, and cooking oils and salts, advocate for balanced nutrition and scientifically moderate healthy eating habits, and guide families to purchase and store ingredients according to their needs. Continue to promote changes in customs, advocate for civilized and frugal handling of weddings and funerals, and curb extravagant and wasteful behaviors.

Secondly, strengthen guidance and norms. Integrate food conservation and anti-food waste into citizen agreements, village regulations, and industry standards, and include them in the construction of civilized cities, civilized villages and towns, civilized units, civilized families, and civilized campuses.

Finally, strengthen education for young people and the construction of a frugal family ethos. Combine activities such as "Most Beautiful Family," "Women’s Great Advocacy," "Women’s Grain Conservation," and the Chinese Farmers' Harvest Festival to advocate for families to love and conserve food, and promote a good family ethos of frugality.

Deepen the "Clean Plate Campaign"

Synchronously curb waste during food safety inspections in the catering industry

The "Plan" also focuses anti-waste actions on the catering industry and unit canteens. For the catering industry, deepen the "Clean Plate Campaign." Guide catering service operators to strengthen reminders for ordering according to needs, clearly label and reasonably configure the specifications and quantities of dishes and staple foods, actively promote small portion meals, and proactively remind customers to pack leftover food. Encourage catering service platforms to support merchants in actively participating in anti-food waste efforts.

Strengthen legal penalties. In food safety supervision and inspection in the catering industry, synchronously curb catering waste, and remind and urge catering service operators who do not comply with anti-food waste regulations to rectify as per regulations.

For unit canteens, it is required to combat waste in government canteens. Fully implement an evaluation and reporting system for the effectiveness of anti-food waste work in government canteens, strengthen the application of results, and make the situation of anti-food waste an important part of the assessment of energy and resource conservation in public institutions.

Strengthen the management of procurement, storage, processing, cooking, meal distribution, and service in school canteens, monitor, analyze, and evaluate the number and structure of students dining, and ensure planned production, on-demand meal service, and optimal resource utilization. Establish and improve the mechanism for selecting and exiting off-campus meal service providers.

Improve the management system for canteens in state-owned enterprises, conduct analysis and evaluation of kitchen waste, and carry out on-site supervision and inspection to promptly correct wasteful behaviors.

Statistics and surveys on losses and waste

Encourage the evaluation of food waste in takeout services

A major focus of this "Plan" is to comprehensively strengthen the statistics and surveys on losses and waste. The "Plan" specifies the establishment of a statistical survey system, standards, and indicator system for food loss and waste. Support the conduct of basic data surveys and research on food loss and waste, including grains, meat, vegetables, fruits, and aquatic products.

Special statistical surveys should be conducted by sector. Regularly conduct statistical surveys on losses in grain production, storage, transportation, and processing. Regularly conduct statistical surveys on food waste in the catering industry, government canteens, school canteens, and canteens in state-owned enterprises, and organize youth volunteers to conduct sampling surveys on food waste. Explore the evaluation of food waste in households and retail sectors, and encourage and support catering service platforms to conduct evaluations of food waste in takeout services.