Ready-to-eat food stores, supermarkets, restaurants, and households are called upon to revise their lifestyle, consumption habits, sale practices and preparation methods. Households throw away 2.91 million tonnes of food each year.
Tokyo (AsiaNews/Agencies) – At least 6 million tonnes of food are discarded every year from ready-to-eat food stores, supermarkets, restaurants and households. For this reason, the Japanese government wants to raise awareness among the Japanese people to encourage them to reduce food waste.
According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), roughly 1.3 billion tonnes of food is wasted globally every year, whilst one person in nine in the world — or 815 million — are underfed.
In January, Japan’s Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry turned to industry groups representing convenience stores and supermarkets, urging them not to overproduce seasonal sushi rolls.
The government also asked shops, supermarkets, and restaurants to sell or serve smaller portions of food.
Government data show that from 2016 to 2017, food-related manufacturing and restaurants sectors threw away 1.37 million tonnes and 1.33 million tonnes, respectively, whilst the retail sector discarded around 10 per cent out of a total 6.43 million tonnes. For their part, at 2.91 million tonnes households alone represented over 40 per cent of the total.
In light of the situation, the government wants to reduce household food waste by 50% by 2030. This is why it is launching a campaign that shows how overproduction of food and its waste are responsible for huge energy consumption and contributes to global warming.