China launches 'Clean Plate' food waste campaign

China is taking action to cut down on food waste. The government has started a new campaign to encourage people to think about the amount of food they waste. It is called the "Clean Plate Campaign". President Xi Jinping wants people to reduce the amount of food wasted. He called the waste "shocking and distressing". There are many reports in China that a food crisis is coming. Food production has decreased because of the coronavirus and because of floods in southern China. Experts say this will not lead to a crisis, but the government wants people to pay more attention to how much food they leave on their plate. President Xi said China had to "maintain a sense of crisis about food security".

Many restaurants are taking the campaign very seriously. A restaurant in central China went a little too far as it started weighing customers. It had to apologise to diners who were offended at being weighed. It said: "We originally wanted customers to stop food waste and order food in a healthy way." A restaurant in the capital Beijing told the Global Times newspaper: "We remind our guests when they order too much food." Restaurants in Wuhan have started the N-1 system. This is where groups of diners must order one fewer dish than the number of people in the group. Earlier this year, the United Nations warned that the world could see its worst food crisis in 50 years.