On food waste, China leads the world in annual household food waste, accounting for 91.

25
million metric tons annually in 2020. This is a concerning factor as India which is the country below
them accounted for 68.76 million metric tons per year, showing that China is leading them by a
whopping one third by their own waste (Tiseo, 2022).

Annual household food waste produced in selected countries worldwide as of 2020

Image retrieved from: https://www.statista.com/statistics/933083/food-waste-of-selected-countries/

The target that was chosen for this country is to halve the global per capita food waste under SDG
(Responsible Consumption & Production). This goal is vital for China because it helps to impose a
better state of mind of food sustainability among its population, which will benefit the country in its
food waste situation.
Food waste pile situated in China

Image retrieved from: https://www.coresponsibility.com/chinas-food-waste-challenge/

The government has faced several challenges in attempting to implement measures to promote
a better understanding of sustainable living. One of the challenges include their cultural approach, it
is part of their culture that the host traditionally would order more food than less food to display
their hospitality to their guests. So, the more leftovers there are, the more hospitable the host is
portrayed to be (Wong, 2022).

Chinese host hosting its guest in a restaurant

Image retrieved from: https://www.chinaimportexport.org/chinese-business-etiquette-guide-part-2-having-dinner-and-ordering-food/

Another trend that has been leading up is the uprise of “Mukbang” which is a social media
phenomenon originated from South Korea, social media influencers would livestream a video of
themselves binge-eating as they force large amounts of food into their stomachs. This has become
increasingly profitable and popular in China as people are trying to replicate their actions which
leads to more unnecessary food waste as not everyone could consume huge portions of food (Wong,
2022).

Example of a Chinese social media influencer doing a “MukBang”

Image retrieved from: https://www.facebook.com/Chinesefoodmukbangtv/

China recently passed a "food waste law" in 2021, in which the government assesses sources of
food waste and allows restaurants to take practical measures regarding food waste. Firstly, Excessive
leftovers from host are banned to prevent hosts from ordering food impulsively to leave a good
impression to the guests as Restaurants could impose an extra fee to any patrons who leaves
excessive quantities of unfinished food. Secondly, restaurants can also be fined up to 10,000 yuan if
found guilty for misleading or inducing poor food management behavior and are required to remind
their customers of food frugality duties (Sheldon, 2021).

Restaurant worker explaining about the consequences of leftovers in the restaurant

Image retrieved from: http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2021-04/29/c_139915400.htm

Lastly, online influencers are prohibited from producing live streaming content that showcases any
over-eating or competitive feed. Anyone that distributes and promote such a material will be
handed a fine of close to 100,000 yuan and their media blog might be forced to close if their
violations are considered serious enough (Sheldon, 2021). Although it is too early to have brief view
of the effectiveness of the law, it is safe to say that this will help established a long-term mechanism
to prevent food waste and ensure the nation’s food security. This legislation will help educate
society on food frugality. Adopting stricter food wastage regulations and policies not only build on
China food security in the foreseeable future, but contribute to the country’s works in the reduction
of greenhouse gas emissions and reaching their 2060 goal of carbon neutrality (Wong, 2022).

China’s 2060 Carbon-Neutrality Target

Image retrieved from: https://www.msci.com/www/research-report/china-s-2060-carbon-neutrality/02721491160

Word Count: 498 words

References

 Sheldon, M. (2021, May 1). China Passes Law to Prevent Food Waste, Increase Food
Security. https://www.nycfoodpolicy.org/food-policy-snapshot-china-food-waste-law/
 Tiseo, I. (2022, October 22). Annual household food waste produced in selected countries
worldwide as of 2020*. Satistica. https://www.statista.com/statistics/933083/food-waste-
of-selected-countries/
 Wong, C. (2022, January 28). Food Waste in China and How the Government is Combating It.
Earth.org. https://earth.org/food-waste-in-china/