The International Conference on Food Loss and Waste in Jinan will provide a platform for bolstering global cooperation in curbing food waste, according to officials.

The event started on Sept 9 and will run until Sept 11.

Jinan, the capital of Shandong province, was chosen as the host city for the international conference for many reasons, among which is its achievements in securing a steady food supply and reducing food loss and waste.

Officials said agricultural science and technology have also contributed greatly to the effective food supply in the city.

The Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences and the Shandong Institute of Agricultural Engineering is working to cultivate high-quality seeds such as "Jimai 22" and "Jinan 44", which have higher output than others in China.

The precise seedling technology helps save 30 million kilograms of grain every year.

The city's storage technology, which allows for temperature control and is cost effective, helps to keep the natural loss rate of grain storage to below 0.2 percent.

The city has developed grain processing enterprises and industrial parks and well-known agricultural processing enterprises, forming a complete industrial chain that spans from raw grain to products.

Furthermore, with the support of national ecological protection efforts and the high-quality development in the Yellow River Basin strategy, Jinan now faces new development opportunities.

The city has a good foundation and significant advantages, making it an ideal host for the international food loss and reduce conference.

As an important transportation hub in China, Jinan has more than 300 railways connecting 254 cities in the country and has 204 airlines that travel to 114 cities at home and abroad.

Jinan joined China's "1-trillion-yuan club" for the first time in 2020 when its GDP hit 1.01 trillion yuan ($156.7 billion). The revenue of the information technology and high-end equipment industries both exceeded 300 billion yuan.

Jinan also enjoys a favorable international environment. The city is currently home to 81 of the world's top 500 companies and has 79 sister cities and friendly cooperation cities.

The International Conference on Food Loss and Waste is attended by agricultural ministers from a number of G20 members, including Italy, the United States, Britain, France and Indonesia, as well as diplomats, scholars and international companies from other countries.

The event showcases waste-curbing efforts throughout the food production and storage process as well as the country's knowledge of agricultural equipment, breeding and the application of internet of things in the sector.