The 2025 International Conference on Reducing Food Loss and Waste is underway in Shandong Province, bringing together delegates from 62 countries and international organizations to address grain loss and food supply challenges. Our reporter Xu Yi has more.
XU YI, Jinan, Shandong "There is an old Chinese saying: 'Every single grain is the fruit of toil,' reminding us to cherish the food on our table. Here in Shandong, one of China's major granaries, people from around the world are coming together to discuss how to reduce food loss and waste."
According to a United Nations report, over 290 million people worldwide are currently facing severe hunger. At the same time, large amounts of grain and food are lost daily during production and consumption. The issue of food loss and waste is a critical global concern.
ISMAHANE ELOUAFI, Executive Managing Director, CGIAR "I think the subject of food loss and waste is huge. It's a global issue. About 34% of the world's food is wasted or lost. So why are people still dying of hunger? That's why this topic is extremely important. We really need to address it."
Here in China, thanks to significant agricultural achievements, the situation is improving. According to the National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration, the grain storage loss rate among Chinese farmers has fallen from 8 percent a decade ago to 2.9 percent, well below the global average. China is also actively sharing its knowledge and experience with the world.
ISMAHANE ELOUAFI, Executive Managing Director, CGIAR "So I think China's contribution to the whole agriculture sector is huge. So we have been seeing really tremendous development in China over the last 30, 40 years. And myself really, I see that China right now, it's the biggest investor in terms of research and development in agriculture. The innovation that is coming out shows that investment, it's the right investment in solutions of packaging, for example, solutions of shelf life solution in terms of production with new technologies."
During the three parallel sessions, delegates discussed how countries can build effective cooperative systems to achieve the United Nations 2030 Agenda, including the "Zero Hunger" goal and halving global per capita food waste in retail and consumption sectors. Xu Yi, CGTN, Jinan in Shandong Province.
