China moves to curb excess eating and food waste

Diners in Shanghai.
(Image credit: HECTOR RETAMAL/AFP via Getty Images)

Perhaps don't get fries with that.

China released an action plan on Monday to try and curb citizens' overindulgence in food, asking diners not to order more than they need and encouraging them to report establishments they see wasting grub, reports Bloomberg. The plan also "advocates buffets for official receptions rather than banquets, while banning companies from hosting lavish feasts" for something like a meeting or a training.

Additionally, catering services will have to remind customers to order just the right amount of food, while simultaneously providing the option of smaller servings. Households will be asked to make "full use" of ingredients, and purchase food on demand.

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The campaign is just the nation's latest attempt to "rein in excesses across all aspects of society," Bloomberg writes. It will remain in effect through 2025, and arrives in the wake of calls from President Xi Jinping to "reduce food waste and bolster food security."

The effort would also allow China to reduce dependency on imports and better handle disruption. The campaign's other provisions include improving "drying conditions and capacity for grain production"; strengthening infrastructure "to reduce grain loss during transportation"; and training farmers on "proper grain storage." Read more at Bloomberg.

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Brigid Kennedy

Brigid Kennedy worked at The Week from 2021 to 2023 as a staff writer, junior editor and then story editor, with an interest in U.S. politics, the economy and the music industry.