Reducing Food Loss and Waste in Japan: An Environmentally Friendly Approach

Mako Narita
Gakushuin University
minionmaco[at]gmail[dot]com

Reducing Food Loss and Waste in Japan:
An Environmentally Friendly Approach
ABSTRACTThe poster I presented at the LD30 Conference was about reducing food loss and waste. I proposed
one idea on how to reduce food loss and waste in Japan based on two research questions. In mypresentation, I first provided the background of food loss and waste by referring to environmental
damages and the north-south divide, including the differences between food loss and waste.
Second, I explained the past situation of food loss and waste in Japan based on my reading of theliterature. Additionally, I compared the actions that had been taken for food loss and waste in Japanand Europe. Finally, I offered and discussed my idea to deal with food loss and waste in Japan. I
concluded my session by summarizing the main points and talking to the participants about the issueand actions that could be taken to reduce food loss and waste.

First, let me explain how I decided to work on this project. I have been taking a course in my department
in which we were given an assignment to write a paper about social issues. I took this course toencourage me to work on academic writing which I wasn’t good at. In this course, I decided to search
about food loss and waste. Seeing the actions or policies towards food loss and waste in Japan
made me feel it can be encouraged more. It motivated me to search and think about this issue.
That is why I have done my research about food loss and waste in university focusing on SDG goal
12. Then I had the opportunity to participate in the LD30 Conference, so I decided to share myideas with participants in a poster session.
In my research, I focused on the situation in developed countries to consider suggestions for Japanby setting two research questions:
1. What is the situation of food loss and waste in Japan in comparison to the rest of the world?
2. What can be done to reduce Japan’s food loss and waste?

MY POSTER

In this poster presentation, I proposed one idea on how to reduce food loss and waste in Japan.
The poster is reproduced below. To guide my thinking, I set two research questions which appear
at the top left of the poster. Below this, I then provided the background of food loss and waste byreferring to environmental damages and the north-south divide including the differences between
food loss and waste. Below this, I answered my first question by looking into the current situationof food loss and waste in Japan through my reading of the literature (‘Current Situation in Japan’).
I also compared the actions that have been taken for food loss and waste in Japan and Europe
LEARNING LEARNING『学習の学習』31(1)108MAKO NARITA(‘What Other Countries Do’). Finally, I offered and discussed my idea to deal with food loss andwaste in Japan to answer the second research question. (‘My Connection’ > ‘My Idea’).

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LEARNING LEARNING『学習の学習』31(1)Reducing Food Loss and Waste in Japan: An Environmentally Friendly Approach

PCP REFLECTION

I joined the LD30 Conference for my academic experience. In the preparation stage, making a big
poster was a good way to wrap up my research and consider how to convey it to the audience. I
was excited to speak up about my idea at an academic conference for the first time in my life.
On the day of LD30 (day 1, Oct 21), the session time flew by faster than I expected with valuablecommunications. There were both professors and students from various areas of Japan visiting myposter. There were two memorable episodes during the session.
First, several teachers visited my poster. One of them gave me a comment on my poster that world
food transportation is the third largest CO2 emitter behind China and the US. This was surprising.
In addition to what the professor pointed out, I put two more serious issues caused by food loss
and waste on my poster. The first issue is the damage to natural resources caused by food loss
(freshwater, fertilizers, and croplands). Food waste means disposing of food and natural resources.
The second issue is the difference between developing countries and developed countries. In
response to the section on my poster about waste loss in Japan, another professor asked me why
it is considered serious although the graph in the poster shows the amount of food loss and waste
in Japan has been declining for five years. I explained to him that it is obvious the amount has
been reduced, but I pointed out that there was still 5.22 million tons of waste from households andbusinesses in 2020. This fact shouldn’t be forgiven.
I explained to the teachers two examples from other countries. Denmarks’ supermarkets sell goods
at discounted prices which can no longer be sold in common supermarkets because of the imminent
expiration dates. In France, the law forced supermarkets to give unsold food to charity groups whosuffer from a lack of food. Considering these in mind, I put the idea of carrying extra food products
to places where they are in demand in the vacant space of transportation. For example, on highwaybuses, there are spaces to put passengers’ luggage, but there are extra spaces that contain nothing.
Extra food could be carried in these spaces. It can reduce the food that retailers throw away. It’s also
environmentally friendly, not using extra vehicles. At this time, one of the teachers mentioned one of
the actions in Japan. It is called “Second Harvest Japan”. They play a role similar to food banks. So, I
could get new knowledge which stimulates my ideas. The professors admired the fact that I’ve done
research and tried to share in this session. They made me feel satisfied with all my work.
I had another valuable conversation with a student who is also learning English. Looking around myposter, she was interested in my idea to reduce food loss and waste. She told me that is interested
in agriculture, and had some experience learning about farmers. Then she asked whether my idea
could save farmers. From her perspective, one of the serious issues of agriculture is the lack ofsuccessors, people who can take over the running of farms after this generation. We came up withthe idea to carry local crops from rural to urban areas so that people can get to know more about
farmers or production areas. I feel that if customers knew more about the farmers who produce
the goods they buy, they would feel more familiar with them, which would raise people’s interest inagriculture. We had a nice discussion till the end.
Through my poster session, I learned various kinds of new things, and points of improvement in myresearch, and mostly I enjoyed sharing ideas with people who have different majors, and backgrounds.
It gave me the confidence to try new things in English.
I appreciate it at all.

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