The person in charge of the Central Agricultural Office answered a reporter's question on the "Action Plan for Grain Conservation": Strengthen the rigid system constraints and promote the conservation and loss reduction of the whole grain chain

Source: Economic Daily

On October 31, the Action Plan for Food Conservation (hereinafter referred to as the "Plan") was publicly released, and the person in charge of the Central Agricultural Office answered reporters' questions on the relevant situation.

Q: What is the background and significance of the promulgation of the "Plan"?

Answer: At present, China's grain demand is growing rigidly, resource and environmental constraints are becoming increasingly tight, and it is becoming more and more difficult to increase grain area and increase output. As the global COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread, the impact of climate change is intensifying, and it is more difficult to ensure the stability of food supply chains, it is of great significance to carry out food conservation actions. The "Plan" focuses on the whole chain and multi-link grain saving and loss reduction actions, which is equivalent to increasing the "invisible fertile land" of effective food supply, and opens up an important way to further ensure national food security. Carrying out grain conservation and loss reduction can not only save land and water, save fertilizer and medicine, but also protect the ecology, reduce emissions and reduce carbon, help carbon peak carbon neutrality, and achieve green development and sustainable development. In addition, grain conservation and loss reduction help to inherit traditional virtues and practice the core values of socialism.

Q: What are the objectives and requirements of the Plan?

Answer: Combined with the goals and tasks of the "14th Five-Year Plan", the "Plan" clearly states that by 2025, the grain-saving and loss-reduction measures in all links of the grain industry chain will be more hardened and refined, and more obvious results will be achieved in promoting grain-saving and loss-reduction, the system, standard system and monitoring system for grain-saving and loss-reduction will be basically established, the normal long-term governance mechanism will be basically sound, the "disc action" will be carried out in depth, the problem of food waste will be effectively curbed, and it will become a common practice in the whole society to save grain and oppose waste.

Q: What innovative measures has been formulated in the Plan?

A: The "Plan" focuses on strengthening innovative measures in the three aspects of the whole chain, the sense of action and scientific and technological innovation. The first is to highlight the whole chain and strengthen comprehensive policies. Aiming at grain production, storage, transportation, processing, consumption and other links, comprehensive policies and supporting links. The second is to highlight the sense of action and strengthen the implementation of the landing. The "Plan" clearly defines the goal of grain conservation and loss reduction, and puts forward a series of more solid hard measures and new tasks to promote the implementation of grain conservation and loss reduction work in the form of grain conservation actions. The third is to highlight scientific and technological innovation and strengthen technological loss reduction. The "Plan" will "vigorously promote the scientific and technological innovation of grain saving and loss reduction" into a separate section, and deploy more specific and more detailed measures from the aspects of production technology support, storage and transportation loss reduction key technology quality upgrading, grain processing technology and equipment research and development level improvement, so that the grain saving and loss reduction work from "soft requirements" to "hard support" transformation.

Q: What targeted measures does the "Plan" propose?

Answer: The "Plan" focuses on the problem of loss and waste in grain production, storage, transportation, processing, consumption and other links, and puts forward targeted measures. In the production link, on the one hand, it is necessary to promote the economical use of seeds in agriculture, and integrate and popularize key technologies such as centralized seedling breeding of rice factories, fine sowing of maize single grain, and semi-precision sowing of wheat; on the other hand, it is necessary to promote fine harvesting of grain and reduce the loss of harvest in the field. In the storage link, first, it is necessary to improve the conditions for grain post-harvest drying, and include complete sets of grain drying facilities and equipment into the pilot scope of subsidies for new agricultural machinery products. Second, we must support and guide peasant households to scientifically store grain and strengthen the training and services for farmers in scientific grain storage technology. Third, we must promote the conservation and reduction of storage facilities, and encourage the development of green storage improvement actions and green grain storage standardization pilots. In the transportation link, first, we must improve the transportation infrastructure and equipment, and develop multimodal transportation of grain containers and public iron and water. Second, it is necessary to improve the rural grain logistics service network and improve the rural transportation network. Third, it is necessary to carry out logistics standardization demonstrations, develop standardized, standardized and information-based bulk grain transportation service systems, and carry out multimodal transport and efficient logistics connection technology demonstrations. In the processing process, first, it is necessary to improve the conversion rate of grain and oil processing, such as formulating and revising the standards for the processing of rations and edible oil, and improving the digital management level of the grain processing industry. Second, it is necessary to strengthen the reduction and substitution of feed grain. Third, it is necessary to strengthen the comprehensive utilization of grain resources and effectively use grain and oil processing by-products to produce edible products, functional substances, and industrial products. In the catering consumption link, different entities in different links such as the catering industry, unit canteens, official activities, schools, families and individuals are separately regulated and constrained, and supervision and inspection are strengthened, and the "waste on the tip of the tongue" is resolutely curbed.

Q: How to effectively curb the waste of food and beverage consumption?

A: On the basis of the Anti-Food Waste Law of the People's Republic of China, the Plan has made targeted and specific arrangements in different links. First, strengthen the management of business behavior in the catering industry. Improve the anti-food waste system norms in the catering industry, and encourage and guide catering service operators to take the initiative to prompt consumers to order appropriate amounts. The second is to implement the responsibility of anti-food waste management in the canteen of the unit. Encourage the use of methods such as making reservations, matching meals according to quantity, serving small meals, and making up meals on demand, to scientifically purchase and use ingredients. Grasp the savings of dining in government canteens, and implement a system for evaluating and reporting the effectiveness of anti-food waste work in government canteens. The third is to strengthen the saving of meals in official activities. Earnestly strengthen the management of official activities such as official receptions, meetings, and training. The fourth is to establish and improve a long-term mechanism for the economical management of school catering. Implement the system of centralized meal accompaniment in primary and secondary schools and kindergartens, and cultivate students' good eating habits of thrift and thrift and eliminate waste. The fifth is to reduce the waste of food at home and personal. Strengthen the publicity of public nutrition and diet science knowledge, and advocate balanced nutrition, scientific and civilized eating habits. The sixth is to promote the resource utilization of kitchen waste. Through investment within the central budget and the issuance of green bonds by enterprises, we will support the resource utilization and harmless treatment of kitchen waste, and guide the active participation of social capital.

Q: How to carry out international cooperation in grain conservation and loss reduction?

A: The "Plan" puts forward specific arrangements for international food loss reduction, first, actively participating in activities such as the United Nations Food System Summit and the Global Action to Reduce Food Waste, and sharing food loss reduction experience with the international community. The second is to promote cooperation and exchanges such as joint research, technical demonstration and personnel training on grain conservation and loss reduction through multilateral and bilateral channels. The third is to promote the institutionalization of the International Conference on Food Loss Reduction.

Question: How to ensure that the reduction of grain savings and losses is implemented in a down-to-earth manner and that results are achieved?

Answer: Saving food and reducing losses is about action. The "Plan" coordinates efforts from organizational leadership, system construction, evaluation mechanism, and implementation supervision to ensure that grain savings and loss reductions are implemented and results are seen. First, strengthen organizational leadership. The work of saving grain and reducing losses will be included in the assessment of the food security responsibility system, and the party and the government will adhere to the same responsibility. Each leading department should combine its own responsibilities and put forward annual grain saving and loss reduction target tasks and implementation measures. The second is to improve institutional standards. Strengthen grain management and grain conservation in accordance with the law, fully implement the Anti-Food Waste Law of the People's Republic of China, and formulate a food security law. Build food industry chain standards, national standards, industry standards and group standards that meet the requirements of grain conservation and loss reduction and promote food conservation. The third is to establish an investigation and evaluation mechanism. Explore methods for the investigation and assessment of food loss and waste, and establish evaluation standards for food loss and waste. The fourth is to strengthen supervision and management. Establish a supervision system that combines departmental supervision, industry self-discipline, social supervision, etc., and comprehensively use methods such as self-inspection, spot checks, and verification to continue to carry out normalized supervision. (Economic Daily reporter Liu Hui)