Today's Edition
ABU DHABI (WAM)
ne’ma - the National Food Loss and Waste Initiative- convened a Youth Circle in Abu Dhabi to mark the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste (IDAFLW), marked on September 29, placing young voices at the heart of the national dialogue on food sustainability.
Held at the Region Concept Space in Miza, Abu Dhabi, the Youth Circle was organised in collaboration with The Climate Tribe, Emirates Foundation, and Abu Dhabi Youth Council.
The dialogue explored how traditional Emirati practices, such as preserving dates and sharing meals, as well as reusing ingredients, promote resourcefulness and inspire scalable modern solutions to today’s food waste challenges. The session was conducted primarily in Arabic to ensure that national identity remained at the center of the dialogue.
Khuloud Hasan Al Nuwais, Chief Sustainability Officer, Emirates Foundation and ne’ma Committee Secretary-General, opened the Circle with a keynote framing the implications of global and national food waste and the UAE’s commitment to halving food loss and waste by 2030. She highlighted the value of linking ancestral wisdom with evidence-driven action.
“Food waste reduction is not just a matter of behavior change; it is a test of our values and future resilience. By drawing from the principles of responsibility and respect for resources that guided our forefathers and senior Emiratis, and combining them with data and innovation, youths can help create systems that secure food sustainability for generations to come,” Al Nuwais said.
The Youth Circle engaged representatives from government, private sector, and community organisations in a dialogue on cultural wisdom, modern practices, and innovative heritage-based solutions.
Youth participants co-created practical ideas, ranging from awareness campaigns and community initiatives to policy recommendations. The session also highlighted the contributions of key partners, especially The Climate Tribe and the Abu Dhabi Youth Council, underscoring their role in amplifying youth voices and connecting heritage with innovation.
Hind Al Ghseen, Executive Director of The Climate Tribe, said, “One of The Climate Tribe’s primary goals is to spread awareness and inspire change in our communities. Bringing together the voices of our youth to address food waste is exactly the kind of collective action that ensures we’re able to build sustainability into every aspect of daily life here in the UAE, and of course, the world."
Sherina AlSowaidi, Vice Chair of Abu Dhabi Youth Council, said, "Our ancestors placed sustainability at the core of their lives; they valued every resource and lived in harmony with the desert, sea, mountain, and farm. In this Youth Circle, we carried that legacy forward and turned dialogue into action. Together with our partners, we are launching Roots of Sustainability — a program that highlights the values of our four landscapes through hands-on, experiential learning. These outcomes reflect what Abu Dhabi’s youth do best: honor our heritage while building a future that is sustainable, innovative, and deeply connected to our identity."
A key outcome of the event was the announcement of “Roots of Sustainability”, a youth program featuring workshop series curated by The Climate Tribe in collaboration with Abu Dhabi Youth Council, Emirates Foundation and ne’ma. The workshops will encourage young participants to actively design practical solutions rooted in Emirati heritage and connected to global best practices.
This Youth Circle reaffirmed the critical role of youth in shaping the UAE’s food sustainability future. A dedicated “Solution Design” segment translated discussion into action, with small groups developing ideas that ranged from social media challenges and storytelling projects to community-based initiatives such as Zero Waste Majlis and heritage-inspired cooking classes. Participants also proposed policy recommendations, including incentives for food donation and integrating food waste measurement in restaurants.
This Youth Circle builds on ne’ma’s broader mandate to mobilise the nation in reducing food loss and waste. This includes the ongoing UAE Food Loss and Waste Baseline Study, launched earlier this year with over 25 federal and local partners, including the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE), the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre (FCSC), Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA), Tadweer Group, Dubai Municipality, and Aldar.
This month, more than 3,000 households across the seven emirates, alongside businesses and institutions, participated in the Study’s first national data collection phase.
By tracking discarded food at the source and consolidating business-reported data, the Study is building the UAE’s first comprehensive dataset on food waste. Its findings will set national indices, guide awareness campaigns, and inform evidence-based interventions.
The Youth Circle in Abu Dhabi brought together leaders, youth representatives, and community organisations, underscoring the shared responsibility of all generations in shaping a sustainable food future in the UAE. ne’ma continues to convene communities, empower youth, and provide the data, culture, and partnerships needed to achieve its vision of a nation where no food is wasted.
