Food Losses and Waste in China and Their Implication for Water and Land
Abstract
Conventional approaches to food security are questionable due to their emphasis on food production and corresponding neglect of the huge amount of food losses and waste. We provide a comprehensive review on available information concerning China's food losses and waste. The results show that the food loss rate (FLR) of grains in the entire supply chain is 19.0% ± 5.8% in China, with the consumer segment having the single largest portion of food waste of 7.3% ± 4.8%. The total water footprint (WF) related to food losses and waste in China in 2010 was estimated to be 135 ± 60 billion m(3), equivalent to the WF of Canada. Such losses also imply that 26 ± 11 million hectares of land were used in vain, equivalent to the total arable land of Mexico. There is an urgent need for dialogue between actors in the supply chain, from farmer to the consumer, on strategies to reduce the high rates of food losses and waste and thereby make a more worthwhile use of scarce natural resources.
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Grain waste in the Chinese supply chain is 19.0% ± 5.8%, with consumers accounting for the single largest portion of the waste (7.3% ± 4.8%).
“Studies have also shown that grain waste in the Chinese supply chain is 19.0% ± 5.8%, with consumers accounting for the single largest portion of the waste (7.3% ± 4.8%) [49].”
From Progress towards Sustainable Utilisation and Management of Food Wastes in the Global Economy (2016) · cites this paper as [49]
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- Authors
- Liu, J., Lundqvist, J., Weinberg, J., & Gustafsson, J.
- Affiliations
- Beijing Forestry University (CN)
- Stockholm International Water Institute (SE)
- Corresponding author
- Liu, Junguo
- Venue
- Environmental Science & Technology
- Publisher
- American Chemical Society (ACS)
- Published
- 2013-09-17
- Volume
- 47
- Issue
- 18
- Pages
- 10137-10144
- ISSN
- 0013-936X (ISSN-L)
- 1520-5851
- OpenAlex
- W2328751657
- Cited by
- 241
- References
- 31
- Citations by year
- 2026: 7 · 2025: 17 · 2024: 24 · 2023: 25 · 2022: 34 · 2021: 31 · 2020: 24 · 2019: 17 · 2018: 20 · 2017: 10 · 2016: 15 · 2015: 7 · 2014: 9 · 2013: 1
- FWCI
- 15.87
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Environmental Science & Technology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Food Science › Food Waste Reduction and Sustainability
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Agriculture Sustainability and Environmental Impact
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Environmental Engineering › Environmental Impact and Sustainability
- Keywords
- food loss, food waste, water footprint, land use, food supply chain, grain losses, consumer food waste, food security, natural resource use, China
- MeSH terms
- China, Conservation of Natural Resources, Food Supply, Waste Products, Water
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