UAE: How volunteers 'rescued' food, stopped wastage while packing iftar boxes for 5,000 low-income families

Khaleej Times

13-03-2025

The floor of the Emirates Foundation premises at Al Qana was transformed into a bustling produce market on Thursday as dozens of volunteers, employees, managers, and even a young child, joined forces to pack over 700 boxes of rescued food destined for low-income families across the city.
Piled high with fresh tomatoes, zucchini, lettuce, dates, cheese, and other food items, the boxes contained surplus produce that is perfectly safe to consume but cannot be sold or served due to minor imperfections that make them less presentable.
The Family Iftar Box Programme, led by ne'ma, the UAE's National Food Loss and Waste Initiative, is part of its expanding Food Rescue Programme, which works to ensure surplus food is safely redistributed rather than wasted. The initiative engages stakeholders across the food value system — including the hospitality sector, food producers and distributors — to divert food and deliver it to those in need.
The campaign, in partnership with Takatof, takes surplus food from distributors, retailers, and farmers, channeling it to low-income beneficiaries in Abu Dhabi, Al Dhafra, Al Ain, and Sharjah.
Each box contains fresh produce, staple grains, protein sources, and essential pantry items. The Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation has supported the programme in identifying priority communities, while Hotpack Global has provided operational support.
Keen not to miss any item, volunteers coordinated across long rows of packing tables. At one point, Hazza Al Tamimi, manager of family-friendly programmes at Abu Dhabi's Early Childhood Authority, and his team had to re-open 10 boxes after realising they had forgotten to include zucchini and cherry tomatoes.
'We carried them for a distance, and even the minister (Alia Al Mazrouei) was carrying with us,' he said with a laugh. 'As soon as we arrived at the packing area, they reminded us about the zucchini, and then we realised we hadn't packed any cherry tomatoes either.'
'When we received the email about this initiative, it was the perfect job,' added Al Tamimi. 'We participated last year in Bani Yas, and it's great to see how much the operations have evolved. It was very simple before, but now you see major food outlets contributing entire boxes.'
He added, 'One valuable lesson I've learned today: Tomatoes should never be placed at the bottom of the pile because they can easily be damaged — and damage everything around them.'
At another table, Pure Health managers and directors carefully sealed handfuls of dates from Barakah Dates boxes into nylon bags. 'I learned new things today about the right way to pack surplus food and which items can and cannot be mixed together,' said Dr Shaikha Al Meqbaali, Homecare Service Manager at Seha clinics.
'I thought it would be tiring while fasting, but it turned out to be quite the opposite,' said Omar Al Akbari, head of HR at Seha, volunteering for the first time. 'In most households, surplus food is packed and given away to avoid wastage, so this is already part of our culture."
'At our home, we pack untouched food in boxes and drive around the neighbourhood to distribute it to workers after Taraweeh prayers, so they can eat it for suhoor.'
Seven-year-old Zayed Al Shehhi enthusiastically rolled a trolley carrying empty boxes across the packing area and helped place the boxes on the table. His father Saeed was invited by his workplace, ADAFSA, to the initiative. 'I thought it was a good way to encourage my son to do volunteer work,' he explained.
Ne'ma's campaign has also welcomed international participants. Julie Hansen, a tourist visiting from England, said: 'It's nice to do something small for somebody else every day, and I'm happy to be able to pitch in during my visit to the UAE. Abu Dhabi is wonderful, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to give back during my time here.'
Miriam Ahmed, another volunteer, added: 'Volunteering, especially during the holy month of Ramadan, is very meaningful. It's important for me to show my children the true essence of the holy month. Even though they couldn't be here today, they are aware of what I'm doing, and I hope to teach them the value of kindness and community.'
'This initiative embodies the true essence of Ramadan —giving back, reducing waste, and coming together as a community. What stands out this year is the incredible participation, not just from individuals but entire families working side by side,' Mohamed Al Hosani, director of programmes at Emirates Foundation, said.
'With nearly 400 volunteers mobilised across the UAE, we are ensuring that untouched, high-quality surplus food is repurposed rather than wasted. By strengthening partnerships and expanding our reach, we are seeing a real shift in mindset—one where food is valued, and responsibility is shared.'
The packing event at Al Qana was one of several taking place across the country this Ramadan under ne'ma's 'Valuing Our Roots' campaign, which reinforces the importance of responsible consumption, sustainability, and community-driven action.
On Thursday in Abu Dhabi, 100 volunteers, including Takatof members, corporate partners and members of the public, worked side by side to fill the boxes with fresh produce and pantry staples. Staff from major organisations including Miral, Pure Health, Seha, and the Early Childhood Authority (ECA), joined the effort, swiftly assembling the packages.
During the initiative's mission in Bani Yas on Wednesday night, another 700 boxes were packed and delivered, in addition to between 600 to 700 boxes distributed in Sharjah earlier that day, Khuloud Al Nuwais, Chief Sustainability Officer of Emirates Foundation and Secretary General of ne'ma's Committee, said.
'In total, the programme across its five locations will benefit 5,000 low-income families,' she said.
Al Nuwais explained that while Emirates Foundation handles delivery of the boxes to families on record, in some areas, the families themselves collected their packages. 'In Al Falah and Bani Yas, for example, families collected the boxes themselves,' she said. 'At Al Moatasem School in Bani Yas, many parents who were picking up their children also picked up the boxes. And because we held the event at the same place last year, many families were already aware of it and came directly to collect their boxes.'
This year's Ramadan campaign has seen ne'ma partner with numerous companies and non-profit organisations as part of its national food rescue programme.
'Ramadan is a time of generosity and reflection, and it's a great opportunity to strengthen community connections while working hand in hand with our partners to redistribute surplus produce to low-income families,' Al Nuwais said. 'We're making progress toward achieving the UAE's goal of reducing food waste by 50 per cent by 2030.'
The broader Food Rescue Programme also includes the One Million Surplus Meals Initiative, in collaboration with the UAE Food Bank, which collects untouched surplus food from restaurants and hotels to ensure quality meals reach those in need.
Additionally, Ne'ma's Community Fridges Initiative has placed 10 smart fridges at construction sites and back-of-house locations with high staff traffic in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. These fridges are stocked with surplus cooked meals, donated by 35 hotel and hospitality partners and packed according to health and safety regulations.
'Last year, 16 hotels participated in the initiative, providing 11,581 meals through the community fridges,' Al Nuwais noted. 'This Ramadan, we expect to serve even more.'