MOE Japan discloses the estimated amount of Japan's food loss and waste generated in FY2021

In order to promote food recycling etc. (including reduction of the amount of food waste), Japan has been promoting efforts by the national government, local governments, and business operators, based on the Law for Promotion of Recycling and Related Activities for Treatment of Cyclical Food Resources (Act No. 116 of 2000, hereinafter “Food Waste Recycling Act”). In particular, to tackle the issue of food being thrown away despite being edible, Japan has been promoting actions to reduce such food waste as a national movement based on the Act on Promotion of Food Loss and Waste Reduction (Act No. 19 of 2019).
 
The amount of FLW generated by businesses was estimated based on reports from business operators under the Food Waste Recycling Act. The amount of FLW originating from households was calculated through a survey conducted by local governments. The estimated amount of FLW in FY2021 was approximately 5.23 million tons (see the table below).
 
The reduction of FLW is addressed in one of the targets set forth by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), adopted by the United Nations on September 25, 2015, as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The target is to halve per capita global FLW by 2030.
 
In Japan, the Fourth Fundamental Plan for Establishing a Sound Material-Cycle Society (Cabinet decision on June 19, 2018) and the basic policy of the Food Waste Recycling Act (announced on July 12, 2019) set up the target to halve FLW from households and businesses from the FY2000 level by FY2030. Moreover, the "Basic Policy on Promotion of Food Loss and Waste Reduction” (Cabinet decision on March 31, 2019), based on Act on Promotion of Food Loss and Waste Reduction also stipulates that the national government is to promote comprehensive efforts to achieve the FLW reduction target.

Table: Estimated Amount of FLW (excluding inedible parts)

(Unit: million tons)

	Amount of FLW Generated
	Total	From businesses	From households
FY2021	5.23	2.79	2.44
FY2020	5.22	2.75	2.47
FY2019	5.70	3.09	2.61
FY2018	6.00	3.24	2.76
FY2017	6.12	3.28	2.84
FY2016	6.43	3.52	2.91
FY2015	6.46	3.57	2.89
FY2014	6.21	3.39	2.82
FY2013	6.32	3.30	3.02
FY2012	6.42	3.31	3.12
* The total and the sum of breakdowns may not coincide due to rounding.

MOE Japan has created and has been updating a portal site named the FLW Portal (in Japanese) that provides aggregated information on FLW so that every entity can obtain accurate and easy-to-understand information. This dedicated webpage is structured into three sections, respectively targeting consumers, local governments, and business operators, and is designed to enable individual viewers to obtain necessary information easily.
Please access the webpage from the following URL:
　　FLW portal  https://www.env.go.jp/recycle/foodloss/index.html (in Japanese)

MOE Japan conducts “Model Project for Promoting Creation of Zero Food Loss and Waste Areas,” which supports pioneering cases that aim to create Zero FLW Areas by reducing and recycling FLW and widely disseminating their achievements, in order to expand and spread these initiatives to other regions and organizations.
In FY2023, MOE Japan decided to adopt and support a total of nine projects: four model projects for creating zero FLW areas and five model projects for introducing measures to promote the creation of zero FLW areas.
　　https://www.env.go.jp/en/press/press_01791.html
　　(published on May 30, 2023)
The brief outline of model projects implemented in past years is available on the FLW Portal.

MOE Japan has selected 23 initiatives by the local governments to reduce FLW, compiled the steps and key points to implement them, and published them as a manual in order to further promote FLW reduction in local governments.
The manual is available on the FLW Portal.

MOE published promotion materials, such as images for posters and stickers, for the mottECO initiative, which is the practice of bringing home leftovers from restaurants within the scope of the consumer's self-responsibility.
The promotion materials of "mottECO" are available on the FLW Portal and the following URL：
　　https://www.env.go.jp/press/109486.html
　　(in Japanese, published on April 14, 2021)

MOE Japan published the Food Drive Guidance to assist local governments and local community groups in conducting food drive activities.
The Food Drive Guidance is available on the FLW Portal or the press release at the following URL:
　　http://www.env.go.jp/press/110697.html
　　(in Japanese, published on March 11, 2022)