Japanese Policies for Halving Food Loss and Waste and the Act on Promotion of Food Loss and Waste Reduction

Abstract

Reducing food loss and waste (FLW) has become a global issue. In light of this, Japan has set a national target of halving FLW from its 2000 total by the year 2030. The Act on Promotion of Food Loss and Waste Reduction, which was enforced on 1 October, 2019, aims to promote the reduction of FLW as a national movement through cooperation between a wide range of stakeholders. This article summarizes the current situation on FLW, an overview of the Act, and the Basic Policy on Promotion of FLW Reduction. It then introduces concrete actions being undertaken to reduce FLW by governments at both the national and local levels as well as by the private sector, especially aimed at the young generation.