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Search Throughout the month of October, eight member companies of The Consumer Goods Forum (CGF)’s Japan Sustainability Local Group Food Loss and Waste working group (JSLG-FLW) are taking action to raise social awareness on the need to reduce food loss and waste.
The companies include Ajinomoto, Aeon, Ito En, S&B Foods, Japanese Consumers’ Co-operative Union (JCCU), Mitsubishi Research Institute, Meiji Holdings, and Lawson. The companies’ primary actions have been using their corporate social media channels (SNS) to support and join Japan-wide calls to action for consumers to take steps to reduce food loss, providing support for actions they can take themselves and at home.
In Japan, the Food Loss Reduction Promotion Law passed in 2019 designates October as “Food Loss Reduction Month,” the purpose being to raise public awareness of the issue of food waste and to mobilise concrete action. Food waste is widely recognised as a major problem that causes environmental, economic, and social losses. According to the Government of Japan, the law specifies “that people should actively engage in cutting food loss and waste, that all of society should foster an attitude of not letting food go to waste, facilitate use of food that can still be eaten without discarding it, and that a wide range of actors cooperate to promote a reduction in food loss and waste.”
During this period, various campaigns and events will be held to share specific methods for reducing food waste and best practices. The same law designates October 30th as “Food Loss Reduction Day.” Japan also observes “World Food Day” for the entire month of October, in alignment with the UN Food and Agriculture (FAO)’s observance of the day on October 16 every year.
The eight members of the CGF Japan FLW working group have coordinated their social media efforts and messaging for Food Loss Reduction Month to try to lend their voices to best effect in support of the important goals of the specific days and month of observance, using the “Loss-non” logo from the National No-Food Loss Project and the “Food Loss Zero” graphic developed by the Japan Consumer Affairs Agency, consumers are directed to a dedicated campaign website with tips and advice on how to reduce consumer food waste.
Food loss and waste is a critical environmental, social and governance problem requiring urgent whole-of-chain action. The Consumer Goods Forum Food Waste Coalition of Action (FWCOA) is committed to cutting food loss and waste — some 40% of all food produced is wasted. While a significant portion of food is lost along the food supply chain, a lot of food is wasted at the household level. Data from the UNEP shows that some 60% of food waste happens in peoples’ homes.
To find out more about the CGF’s work to reduce consumer Food Waste, see here.
To find out more about the CGF’s work in the Japan region, see here.
