{"id":2023,"date":"2026-03-28T11:44:42","date_gmt":"2026-03-28T02:44:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/agriture.jp\/industry_news\/food-loss-policy-2nd-2030-60percent\/"},"modified":"2026-04-10T01:04:28","modified_gmt":"2026-04-09T16:04:28","slug":"food-loss-policy-2nd-2030-60percent","status":"publish","type":"industry_news","link":"https:\/\/agriture.jp\/en\/industry_news\/food-loss-policy-2nd-2030-60percent\/","title":{"rendered":"The Consumer Affairs Agency approves the second food loss reduction policy in a Cabinet decision\u2014raising the 2030 target from 50% to 60%, for an additional 200,000-ton reduction"},"content":{"rendered":"

On March 25, 2025, the Consumer Affairs Agency adopted the \"Basic Policy for Promoting the Reduction of Food Loss (2nd Edition)\" at a Cabinet meeting. It set a new target of cutting business-related food loss by 60% versus FY2000 by FY2030, raising the bar from the previous 50% target. The three measures\u2014reducing food loss, promoting food donation, and securing food access\u2014are consolidated into the \"Food Circle Project\" to accelerate public-private efforts.<\/p>\n\n

Overview of the 2nd Basic Policy: Differences from the 1st<\/h2>\n

The 1st Basic Policy (from FY2019) set a target of halving food loss (a 50% cut) versus FY2000 by FY2030. But Japan's efforts progressed far faster than expected, and the country came within reach of meeting the 1st edition's halving target eight years ahead of schedule.<\/p>\n

In response, the 2nd Basic Policy (FY2025\u2013FY2029 \/ 2025\u20132029) raised the target to a 60% cut and set an additional reduction of about 200,000 tons. It also included a numerical target of raising consumers' \"awareness and action rate on food loss\" from the current 74.9% to 80%.<\/p>\n\n

What the 2030 60% Reduction Target Means, and the Volume Involved<\/h2>\n

Japan's total food loss in FY2023 (2023) was about 4.64 million tons, down 80,000 tons year on year and a new record low. The breakdown is roughly 2.33 million tons household and 2.31 million tons business, nearly split in two (reference:Food loss at 4.64 million tons, a record low | Business-related loss falls below household-related for the first time<\/a>\uff09\u3002<\/p>\n

The \"60% cut\" set by the 2nd policy is versus FY2000, and business-related food loss in the base year is estimated at around 5.5 million tons. From the current 2.31 million tons, another 200,000 tons or so must be trimmed to hold loss to roughly 2.1 million tons or less by the end of FY2030. Reaching the target requires sustained annual cuts on the order of 20,000\u201330,000 tons, and behavioral change by both businesses and consumers is essential.<\/p>\n\n

The Three Measures of the \"Food Circle Project\"<\/h2>\n

At the core of the 2nd Basic Policy is the \"Food Circle Project.\" It consolidates the following three measures\u2014previously run in silos\u2014into one, building a structure that heightens their synergy.<\/p>\n\n\n
Measure<\/th>Details<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>\n
food loss reduction<\/td>Curbing waste at every stage: manufacturing, distribution, retail, and consumption<\/td><\/tr>\n
Promoting food donation<\/td>Expanding the flow of surplus food to food banks and children's cafeterias<\/td><\/tr>\n
Securing food access<\/td>Correcting food-procurement disparities for economically struggling households and rural areas<\/td><\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

By consolidating the three measures, the project institutionally supports a circular flow of \"don't discard \u2192 donate \u2192 deliver.\" With consumers, businesses, and government moving under the same platform, ripple effects unattainable through separate measures are expected.<\/p>\n\n

Current Food Loss: The Breakdown of 4.64 Million Tons<\/h2>\n

According to the FY2023 estimates released by the Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries in 2025, Japan's total food loss was 4.64 million tons\u2014roughly 2.33 million tons household and 2.31 million tons business, with business falling below household for the first time. On the business side, four sectors are covered: food manufacturing, food wholesale, food retail, and food service.<\/p>\n

Behind business-related cuts outpacing the household side are better order accuracy at convenience stores and restaurant chains, the spread of food-loss apps, and the easing of the \"one-third rule\" by food makers. Household loss, meanwhile, remains hard to reduce, tangled up in three intertwined factors: leftovers, direct disposal, and over-trimming.<\/p>\n\n

The Role Dried Vegetables and Processed Foods Can Play in Cutting Food Loss<\/h2>\n

Processed foods such as dried and freeze-dried vegetables have drawn attention lately as a way to make food-loss reduction more effective. They offer three main advantages over fresh vegetables.<\/p>\n