China opposes food waste, advocates saving food

Wednesday marks the 33rd World Food Day, and also the 23rd China Food Saving Week. This year's theme is Sustainable Food Systems for Food Security and Nutrition.

According to the Rome-based UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, halving the amount of food wasted would mean having to raise world food production by 32 percent to feed the world's population in 2050, instead of the 60 percent currently estimated. And more than 900 million people are under-nourished, and 2 billion affected by malnutrition. 870 million people, one eighth of the world's population, face the threat of hunger.

Food waste has long been a problem in China. According to a report by China's State Administration of Grain, more than 35 million tons of grain, is wasted in storage, transport and processing each year. Also food, worth 200 billion Yuan, is thrown away without being eaten annually.

Meanwhile, the amount of arable land is shrinking because of the country's urbanization drive. Land and water are also polluted due to the overuse of pesticides and fertilizers.