China is currently managing to feed its people (F. Zhang et al. Nature 497, 33–35; 2013), but food loss and waste throughout the supply chain must be taken into account if food security is to be maintained in the future.

Of China's grain output, an estimated 8%, 2.6% and 3% are lost during storage, processing and distribution, respectively — a total of some 35 million tonnes annually. As in many other developing countries, these alarming losses are a result of inadequate infrastructure, knowledge and technology, and are exacerbated by a decentralized agricultural production system.

China's increasing affluence is also leading to wide-scale food wastage. For example, household food waste totals roughly 2.5% of grain a year (around 5.5 million tonnes). This is fast approaching Western levels (see, for instance, go.nature.com/erz4if).

The pattern and scale of food waste in China are still unclear: more quantitative research will help to inform policy-making and to increase public awareness of the problem (see our pilot study at go.nature.com/8zq1je; in Chinese).