Chinese media recently highlighted the problem of food wastage, especially in the catering industry and school canteens. China is such a populous country that the waste of food is a heavy burden on the already limited resources, says an article on Xinhuanet. Excerpts:

Research by the China Agricultural University found that the food wasted by the catering industry between 2007 and 2008 would meet the annual needs of 260 million people for protein and 130 million people's need for fat.

Statistics collected from some Beijing-based universities show that the food wasted in their canteens amounts to one-third of the actual amount that students buy. If that is the case nationwide, the country's 28.6 million college students waste enough food to sustain almost 10 million people every year.

In stark contrast, the country's poverty-stricken population is still struggling to get enough nourishment. According to Gallup, 6 percent of residents in the poorest one-fifth of the population said they did not have enough money to buy food in the past year. According to the latest media reports, more than 10 million pre-school children in China, particular those in poverty stricken areas, have stunted growth caused by malnutrition and anemia.

Some representatives also pointed out during the two annual sessions that the food served at private banquets and official receptions is mostly wasted and they proposed legislation against this waste of food.

Waste of food is a waste of social resources, the food wasted is not paid by any individual or organizations but actually by society as a whole. The Chinese nation has the traditional virtue of respecting farmers' work and not wasting food, and this is a virtue that deserves to be cherished.

(China Daily 04/27/2012 page9)