Wasting food improvident extravagance

Every grain of rice on a dining plate is the drop of sweat of a grain grower. This is a line from an ancient poem President Xi Jinping quoted when calling for action to curb food waste.

With no hope that the global health crisis will come to an end any time soon, there have been warnings that food supplies face many more months of uncertainty and of looming food crises in some parts of the world, particularly for poorer countries.

Although China will have no such crisis, as it has had bumper harvests for a number of consecutive years and has ample grain reserves, that is no reason for people to be wasteful of food.

Given that extreme weather events are on the rise due to global warming and the uncertainties surrounding food production and distribution because of prevention and control measures to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus, it is imperative that Chinese people develop a greater awareness of food security.

Indeed, in whatever circumstances, it is not just a bad habit but also heedless for people to cook more than they can eat at home and throw away the leftovers, or to order too much in a restaurant and leave what they cannot finish.

Altogether, the food wasted in restaurants amounted to 17 to 18 million tons in 2017, according to an investigation report. Such a large amount of wasted food is enough to feed 30 to 50 million people a year.

As early as 2013, Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, talked about fighting against any form of extravagance, and he has on many occasions stressed the importance of food security.

China is no stranger to food crises, and there is an ancient dictum that cautions of the need to remain alert against privation during days of adequacy, so as to never regret being too extravagant when in want of everything. This is as sage advice today as it was in the past.

No one has the freedom to waste food no matter how rich he or she is. It is not an exaggeration to consider the deliberate waste of food as a crime. That is why Xi stressed the need to enhance legislation, strengthen supervision and put in place a permanent mechanism to stop food being wasted.

The effects of the pandemic should serve as an opportunity for Chinese people to develop the awareness and decent habit of treasuring every grain of rice. It is not a matter of personal freedom or human rights. It is a necessity to ensure there is always enough food to feed people.