Today's Edition
SARA ALZAABI (ABU DHABI)
Since its launch in 2022, ne’ma, the National Food Loss and Waste Initiative, has helped save more than 6.5 million kilogrammes of surplus food from going to waste across the UAE, while preventing over five million kilogrammes of greenhouse gas emissions and preserving an estimated Dh16.5 million in economic value.
These achievements came to the fore as the world marked the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste on September 29. This year’s theme is “The Transformative Potential of Reducing Food Loss and Waste”.
Speaking to Aletihad on the occasion, Khuloud Al Nuwais, Secretary General, ne’ma Steering Committee, said tackling food waste required coordinated action across the entire food supply chain.
“Since ne’ma’s inception, these collaborations have helped rescue and divert more than 6.5 million kilogrammes of surplus food, avoid more than five million kilogrammes of greenhouse gas emissions, and preserve an estimated Dh16.5 million in economic value.”
Al Nuwais said measuring the scale of food loss and waste was also essential as the UAE works towards its national goal of halving food loss and waste by 2030. “This is why ne’ma has carried out the UAE’s first-ever National Food Loss and Waste Baseline Study,” she said.
The study brings together more than 25 federal and local government entities and measures food loss and waste across the supply chain, from farms and businesses to households. “It will identify where action is most needed, guide solutions and track progress over time through dedicated food loss and food waste indices,” she said.
Alongside measurement, ne’ma is working to scale successful interventions into long-term national systems. Its four-stage approach starts with pilot programmes tested under real-world conditions.
Food Boxes and Community Fridges
Successful models are then developed into sector-specific guidelines and operational frameworks; this is before potentially being integrated into policies and regulations and ultimately becoming established practice.
One example is ne’ma Box, which brings together suppliers, farmers, manufacturers, community organisations and volunteers to turn edible surplus produce into food boxes for families.
“We have since activated a permanent food rescue and distribution hub in Al Ain with the Zayed Authority for People of Determination, helping to move this work from a seasonal activity towards year-round operations,” Al Nuwais said, noting that during Ramadan, distribution took place across six locations.
The Community Fridges programme is also expanding following Ramadan activities with hotel partners. ne’ma is working with ADNHC to collect safe surplus food from 15 kitchens in Abu Dhabi, with further expansion planned.
“When we speak about innovation at ne’ma, we are not solely referring to digital disruption. True innovation is about problem-solving,” she said. It involves not only technology, but also practical solutions that partners can adopt long-term, she added.
While the 2030 target – aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goal 12.3 – is an important milestone, Al Nuwais said the longer-term ambition was to embed food waste reduction into how food is produced, handled, sold and consumed.
“Beyond it, we want the practices that reduce food loss and waste to become part of how food is produced, handled, sold and consumed across the UAE,” she said.
Evidence from the baseline study and pilot programmes will help guide sector-specific action and expand successful solutions through cooperation between government, businesses, charities and communities.
“Guided by our leadership’s vision and in support of the National Food Security Strategy 2051, we are working towards a future where zero food waste goes to landfill,” she said.
Furthermore, Al Nuwais said families also had a central role in reducing waste through everyday decisions, from planning meals and storing food properly to serving suitable portions and using leftovers. “Food is a blessing, and respect for food and resources is a value passed down through generations in Emirati homes,” she said.
In an alignment with the Year of Family, she said involving children could pass these habits to future generations, while collective action could move the UAE closer to a future without food waste.
“The International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste gives us another important moment to bring people together around this issue,” she said.
