TOKYO — Japan's estimated food waste fell to its lowest level since comparable records began, with households driving much of the improvement even as waste from food-related businesses edged higher, according to government data released ahead of the country's annual food loss reduction campaign.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, the Consumer Affairs Agency and the Environment Ministry said estimated food waste totaled 4.61 million metric tons in fiscal 2024, down 30,000 tons from the previous year and marking the third consecutive annual decline. The figure is the lowest since the government began compiling comparable data in fiscal 2012.
Household food waste fell to 2.24 million tons from 2.33 million tons a year earlier, continuing a downward trend that has persisted since fiscal 2017. The government said the amount of unopened food discarded by households also declined, dropping to 960,000 tons from 1 million tons.
By contrast, food waste generated by businesses rose to 2.37 million tons from 2.31 million tons, the first increase in three years. Officials said the rise appeared to reflect a recovery in restaurant activity following the COVID-19 pandemic, with larger volumes of discarded food reported by manufacturers and the food service sector.
According to the agriculture ministry, food manufacturers accounted for about 1.1 million tons of business-related food waste, while restaurants generated around 700,000 tons. Despite the increase from the previous year, business-related food waste remained 57% below its fiscal 2000 baseline.
Japan has committed to reducing food waste in line with the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals and has set targets for fiscal 2030 of lowering business-related food waste to 2.19 million tons and household food waste to 2.16 million tons.
The government has expanded efforts to encourage food donations and improve food distribution. In April, the Consumer Affairs Agency and the agriculture ministry launched a certification system for food banks aimed at promoting donations of surplus food that remains safe for consumption. Officials have said the initiative could help reduce food waste generated by businesses while supporting people in need.
The agriculture ministry said it will continue working with other government agencies and food-related businesses to promote measures such as extending product shelf life, easing delivery deadline practices and encouraging consumers to reduce unnecessary waste as Japan seeks to meet its 2030 reduction goals.
