China’s tradition of hospitality may need reshaping if food waste is to end
- A drive against wasted food spearheaded by President Xi Jinping must overcome long-held attitudes towards entertaining
- History of shortages has given Chinese people a respect for frugality, but how guests are treated is still measured in leftovers
He heaves his hoe in the rice field, under the noonday sun; on to the soil of the rice field his streaming sweat beads run
This classical Chinese poem reminding people to treasure food has been one of the first things taught to schoolchildren in China for decades. But wasted food in the world’s most populous country has become so prevalent its leader has called for national action.
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Patrons of the country’s catering industry each wasted an average 11.7 per cent of their meal, according to a report co-authored by the Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research under the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2018.
In large gatherings, the rate rose to 38 per cent, while students threw away a third of the contents in their school lunchboxes, it said.
Preparing or ordering more food than necessary has long been regarded as a symbol of hospitality and social standing in China, where it is common for all dishes to be shared by the table. But the prosperity of recent decades has also partly contributed to the habit of squandering, according to experts.
Zhu Qizhen, a professor at China Agricultural University, said the Chinese people traditionally valued frugality, a consequence of a long history of famine and shortages. But another deeply rooted value – of expressing hospitality by treating guests to sumptuous feasts – was behind the squandering of food.
“What is a sumptuous feast then? One important standard is the amount of leftovers,” he said.
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Shanghai man Ma Linhui, 70, said he shared his father’s attitude that treating guests well was a matter of “face”, the Chinese concept of respect and honour. “We didn’t have much to eat when I was young. But we would put all the food we had saved for months on the table when a guest visited, otherwise we would lose face,” he said.
“Even today, when I cook for my daughter and grandchildren, I can’t help but feel awkward if they eat up all the food. It makes me feel I haven’t prepared enough for them.”
China’s phenomenal economic growth and the bumper harvests of recent decades have taken Chinese society from food shortages to surpluses and it is against this backdrop that frugality is today often equated with stinginess, according to Zhu.
“Just see how farmers have been struggling to sell their produce. On the other side, we’ve been encouraging consumption to stimulate the economy. This, to some extent, is also encouraging waste,” he added.
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Jing Linbo, deputy chairman of the China Cuisine Association, said a survey by his organisation had found business functions and banquets held by government officials using public funds were responsible for 80 per cent of wasted food in restaurants. “People are especially generous when spending public money,” he said.
That was followed in early 2013 with a nationwide campaign called “empty plate” which aimed to eliminate food waste. Since then, consumption at the public’s expense has dropped, but the wastage has not improved much, according to Jing.
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Restaurants were failing in their responsibilities to remind diners to save food, he said, while some were encouraging bigger orders, leading to more waste. “It is definitely not an issue to be rectified in a short period. Cultivating a good consumption culture needs a long-term effort.”
Groups of 10 diners are now expected to order for nine – only adding more food to the table later, if it is actually required. Groups of two or three are to be offered half portions or smaller shares and all restaurants should provide takeaway boxes for leftovers, according to a notice from the Wuhan Catering Association on Tuesday.
