Environment Huge amount of food thrown away in the shadow of satiation - Impact of 19 million tons of food waste 2002

Environment Huge amount of food thrown away in the shadow of satiation - Impact of 19 million tons of food waste 2002

In 2002, Japan was one of the world's largest food importers, yet domestic food waste reached 19 million tons per year. This contrasted with the number of people suffering from hunger throughout the world, and was viewed by the international community as problematic as the waste that lurks behind the insatiable appetite. Among developed countries in particular, Japan's food self-sufficiency rate was low at around 40%, so the country was faced with the double contradiction of being dependent on overseas sources for much of its food while at the same time wasting a large amount of it.

Behind this was a business practice known as the "one-third rule. Under this system, the period between production and consumption is divided into three equal parts, and food products past the first third are not put into circulation. As a result, products with no quality problems were returned or discarded in large quantities, creating social losses. In addition, the expansion of the restaurant industry and overcooking at home have also contributed to food loss.

This mass disposal was not only a waste of resources, but also led directly to environmental destruction. Incineration of food waste increased CO2 emissions, while landfilling contributed to global warming through the generation of methane gas. Disposal costs also put pressure on municipal finances, and became a factor that shook the sustainability of society as a whole.

On the other hand, the Food Recycling Law, which came into effect in 2001, obliges businesses to increase their recycling rate and has begun to set up a system to promote the conversion of food scraps and leftovers into feed and fertilizer. For example, recycling loops in which bread crumbs and leftover rice are processed into animal feed have been tried in many places, and the seeds of a shift to a recycling-oriented society have begun to sprout. However, the effectiveness of the system was not yet sufficient, and a change in the awareness of society as a whole was required.

The 19 million tons of food waste was not just a domestic problem, but symbolized the imbalance in the distribution of food resources on a global scale. 2002 was a year that forced Japan to face up to the waste and environmental burden behind its saturated society, and to ask how it could link a recycling-based society with international solidarity. The 2002 debate was a call for Japan to face up to the waste and environmental burden behind its saturated society.