SCIENCE science.org 4 MARCH 2022 • VOL 375 ISSUE 6584 985
million people annually ( 3 ). The value of
the wasted food is equal to the value of
half of the country’s oil revenue ( 4 ). By
wasting food, Iran is also wasting the 300
million liters of fuel and the 13.7 billion
cubic meters of water that were required
to produce it ( 1 ). Because of drought con-
ditions and a climate with three times the
global average evaporation rate ( 1 ), Iran
devotes 90% of its water consumption
to agriculture. Iran must mitigate food
waste for the sake of food security, water
sustainability, and human safety ( 1 ).
Iran’s inadequate farming practices
contribute to food waste. Farmers lack
necessary knowledge about the benefits
of modern agricultural techniques ( 2 )
and productive cultivation patterns ( 5 ).
Because of rising and unregulated prices
( 6 ), many farmers cannot afford mod-
ern agricultural equipment ( 3 ), packing
techniques, warehousing systems, or
refrigeration rooms ( 1 ).
Some waste occurs because crops are
not purchased, transported ( 1 , 2 , 4 , 5 ),
or distributed efficiently ( 5 , 7 ). Products
such as watermelons, tomatoes, and
apples are particularly vulnerable to
weaknesses in the supply chain ( 7 ).
Insufficient government oversight allows
interference by middlemen ( 5 , 7 ), which
can lead to the production of more sup-
ply than demand and the excess produce,
such as oranges ( 7 ), going to waste.
Consumers also contribute to waste.
Government subsidies on some products
incentivize buying more food than one
can eat ( 1 ). A range of factors influence
how likely consumers are to let food
go to waste ( 8 ), and current government
policies do not take this information
into account.
Iran’s government could reduce agri-
cultural waste by improving farming
standards and providing better incen-
tives. Legislation should be passed to
manage import and export of crops ( 4 ,
5 ), guarantee purchase of products from
farmers ( 3 ), reduce transaction costs ( 1 ),
and provide agricultural insurance ( 3 ).
Farmers should receive more support
to fight pests and plant diseases, mod-
ernize farming equipment ( 6 ), provide
efficient cold storage of raw products
( 7 ), and develop new methods of ware-
housing such as dynamic and smart
atmosphere control systems, advanced
ventilation, and online control ( 1 ). Small
farmers should receive financial support
for setting aside cultivation to prevent
production that is in excess of consump-
tion ( 9 ). The government should invest
in the development of new technologies
for protecting and harvesting agricultural
products more safely. Some agricultural
waste should be used as organic fertil-
izer, clean fuels, and bio(nano)materials
( 10 ). Beyond government, broad national
mass media coverage should emphasize
the proper consumption of agricultural
products. Finally, nongovernmental orga-
nizations should spearhead campaigns to
encourage food-waste reduction.
Reza Akbari^1 and Mahmoud Nasrollahzadeh^2 *(^1) Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science,
Gonbad Kavous University, Gonbad, Iran.
(^2) Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science,
University of Qom, Qom, Iran.
*Corresponding author.
Email: [email protected]
REFERENCES AND NOTES
- A. Mirmajidi-Hashtjin et al., “Post-harvest loss reduc-
tion: Most important strategic approach in enhance-
ment of food security,” Ministry of Agriculture, Jahad,
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10.1126/science.abn9765
China’s dams threaten
the Sichuan taimen
The Sichuan taimen (Hucho bleekeri), a
glacial relict and freshwater salmonid
fish endemic to the Yangtze River ( 1 ), has
been categorized as Critically Endangered
on the Red List of the International
Union for Conservation of Nature ( 2 )
and is listed as an endangered species
on China’s Species Red List ( 3 ). There
are currently between 2000 and 2500
Sichuan taimen individuals, and the
population is likely to decrease by more
than 20% over the next two generations
( 2 , 4 ). The species’ decline is the result ofhabitat loss, overfishing, pollution, and
climate change ( 2 , 5–7). The planned con-
struction of the Barra dam now threatens
to destroy the Sichuan taimen’s last ref-
uge ( 8 , 9 ).
China has decided to invest a sum
equivalent to about US$63.4 billion in
hydropower along the Yangtze River ( 10 ),
where the Sichuan taimen lives. Four
massive dams are planned to help China
decrease its reliance on fossil fuel energy
( 10 ). Hydropower projects have already
reduced the habitats of these fish from
5000 km^2 in the 1960s to less than 100
km^2 ( 11 ). The Barra hydropower station
will destroy the four remaining Sichuan
taimen spawning sites ( 8 ). Without these
important habitats, the species may
die out.
A survivor of the quaternary glacial
period, the Sichuan taimen is a valuable
genetic resource with scientific value for
studying animal geography, paleoecology,
and climate change ( 11 , 12 ). To protect the
Sichuan taimen, the Chinese government
should understand the risks of its extinc-
tion and should designate the spawning
sites as natural reserves. The construction
of the Barra hydropower station should
stop until a sustainable path forward for
the Sichuan taimen is found. Meanwhile,
China should implement scientific manage-
ment and protection policies to minimize
habitat fragmentation and illegal fishing
in the Yangtze River.
D i To n g
College of Environmental and Resource Sciences,
Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China,
and Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of
Agricultural Resources and Environment, Zhejiang
University, Hangzhou 310058, China.
E-mail: [email protected]REFERENCES AND NOTES
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385 (2008). - L. Hu,“The 8.15-billion-yuan project threatens
Sichuan taimen, a giant panda in the water,”
Thepapernet (2021); https://m.thepaper.cn/baijia-
hao_16083356 [in Chinese]. - “Critically endangered Sichuan taimen crisis: The last
homes may be destroyed by a hydropower station,”
Baidu (2018); https://baijiahao.baidu.com/s?id=1619
645349684424461&wfr=spider&for=pc [in Chinese]. - J. Qiu, Science 336 , 288 (2012).
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1390 (2020).
1 2. Y. C h e n et al., Conserv. Genet. Resourc. 12 , 157 (2020).
10.1126/science.abo0354INSIGHTS