The state-run CCTV telecast a news item on January 21 highlighting that the Institute of Geographical
Sciences and Natural Resources Research of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has conducted a two-year
practical investigation on the wastage of food by the public. The results showed that the per capita food waste
in China's catering industry is 93 grams per person per meal, and the waste at large gatherings is as high as
38%, making it the "hardest hit area" for food waste. It quoted Cheng Shengkui, a researcher at the Institute
of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, as saying: "The
entire waste loss occurs in every process link in the entire industry chain. Loss and waste account for 27%,
of which 10% is wasted on the consumer side. The remaining 17% is basically lost and wasted from
circulation, storage, processing, transportation to retail.” According to statistics from the Institute of
Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources Research of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, about 17
million to 18 million tons of food are wasted every year, equivalent to the annual ration of 30 million to 50
million people. Since the life cycle of food involves production, transportation, storage, processing, retail,
consumption, post-processing, and other links, from the perspective of the whole industry chain, about 30%
of food is wasted and lost. The CCTV item said, "not only is this distressing, but the consequences are severe".
Dr. Zhang Dan from the Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese
Academy of Sciences said: "Each kilogram of food wasted is equivalent to an additional 5.22 kilograms of
carbon dioxide emissions, 220 grams of nitrogen, and 40.56 grams of phosphorus. One year of food waste in
Beijing It means that 290,000 hectares of land was wasted in vain. This area is very large. The additional
carbon dioxide emission reaches 2 million tons, and the additional nitrogen emission is equivalent to that of
the Yongding River in one year. , the total amount of total nitrogen emissions from the entire agricultural
non-point source pollution is very staggering." CCTV said "China is a country with more people and less
resources. It uses 7.8% of the world's arable land and 5% of the world's water resources to feed about 20%
of the world's population. It is commendable to be able to do this. But the hard-earned food is wasted in vain,
which is distressing. So, knowing that a porridge and a meal are hard to come by, why waste it?"
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