A report by the China Academy Science found that in 2015 residents in big cities, including Beijing and Shanghai, wasted 17 to 18 million tons of food, or enough to feed 30 to 50 million people. A quarter of the waste was staple foods like rice and noodles, and about 18% of it meat, the report said.
China still relies heavily on imports for its food security, particularly when
natural disasters
like flooding affect domestic production and prices. Global food loss and waste
amount to between one-third
and one-half
of all food produced.