South Korea makes inroads into the problem of food wastage

Here's an interesting little factoid: the planet's one billion hungry people could be fed by just one quarter of the food that is wasted in the USA and Europe. Now, like most quotable little factoids, I'm sure there is an element of exaggeration and artifice in this. But, also like most quotable little factoids, there is probably also a good kernel of truth. Plus, what it doesn't tell us is how all that wasted food might practically be used to feed the starving billions. Food for thought, though.
The article in questions, focuses on South Korea, which used to have a huge food waste problem, but which has been taking some concrete steps to actually do something about it. First, it banned dumping waste food in landfills. Then, it instituted a comprehensive food recycling system, using special biodegradable bags and a $6 per month fee for the administration of the scheme, which covers about 60% of its costs. Technology has also been harnessed in the form of smart bins that weigh deposited food waste and automatically charge users. As a result, the amount of waste food recycled in South Korea has increased from just 2% in 1995 to 95% today. Most of the collected waste is used for fertilizer and animal feed. Also, moisture is removed at the processing plant and used to create bio-gas and bio-oil.
It seems like a very successful scheme, although I have a suspicion that South Koreans in general are probably much more socially responsible and tractable than North Americans and Europeans. Also, it does not address the elephant in the room, the fact that most food waste (by far) occurs at the production-to-retailing stage, not the consumer stage, although who knows what schemes South Korea might have instituted to deal with that particular problem. It just shows what can be done with a bit of determination.