Fine people who waste food, says pioneering rice scientist. Father of hybrid rice’ slams the excess of sumptuous official banquets, see SCMP article
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1135460/fine-people-who-waste-food-says-pioneering-rice-scientist
In my book Toxic Capitalism I detail some of the waste in food, not only in developing countries such as the USA, but unfortunately also in China and in Hong Kong. Yuan Longping is right to raise the alarm as the waste of food is sometimes shocking, like in the banquets and even in universities. Fines are not enough, education is even more urgent. Since several years China is now obliged to import massive amounts of food (corn, soya, milk, meat, …).
As says the article: “China News Service has reported that the country’s leftover food could feed more than 200 million people a year. The State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development said about 128 million people were living below the official poverty line in 2011.”
Blame the government officials, the new rich and all others who forgot the value of food.
Update:
China Daily published the original interview on 25 January:
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/cndy/2013-01/25/content_16172766.htm
According to the article China wastes every year 200 billion yuan (US$32 billion) of food.