ne'ma Launches UAE's First National Study to Track Food Loss and Waste
ne'ma, the National Food Loss and Waste Initiative, has launched the UAE's first nationwide baseline study to measure actual food loss and waste, marking a significant step toward halving food waste by 2030 in line with the UN's Sustainable Development Goal 12.3.
The 18-month study, now underway, involves 3,000 participants from households, businesses, and public sector entities across all seven Emirates. It will map food waste across the entire supply chain, from farm to fork, laying the foundation for systemic change and evidence-based policies. Findings will be announced in the first half of 2026.
Led by ne'ma and supported by strategic partners including the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, ADAFSA, Tadweer Group, Dubai Municipality, and others, the study aims to establish national food loss and waste indices. These metrics will help shape long-term interventions and promote a shift to a sustainable, circular economy.
A key milestone is set for September 2025, when a two-week nationwide data collection effort will involve direct measurement of household food waste. This hands-on approach is designed to capture accurate, real-time insights on when, where, and why food is lost or wasted.
Khuloud Hassan Al Nuwais of Emirates Foundation highlighted the importance of national collaboration, stating the study enables a unified approach to building data-driven solutions. Officials from ADAFSA, Dubai Municipality, Tadweer, and Aldar echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the study's potential to drive environmental and economic benefits.
The final report will be shared globally, reinforcing the UAE's commitment to sustainable development and positioning the country as a regional leader in food system resilience. By engaging communities and sectors nationwide, the UAE is taking concrete steps to reduce food waste and protect vital resources for future generations.
News Source: Emirates News Agency
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Zawya
3 days ago
- Zawya
Dubai Municipality promotes PPP models for developing public parks
Dubai Municipality is exploring Public-Private Partnership (PPP) framework to develop high-quality public parks across the emirate in line with the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan and the city's Greenery Strategy, according to a press statement issued by the entity. Officials showcased Operate and Maintain (OM) agreements, Design–Build–Operate–Transfer (DBOT) structures, and event-based activations during a recent workshop organised in collaboration with Dubai Land Department on Thursday. Park archetypes presented at the workshop included destination parks, beach parks, residential parks, nature parks, and linear parks. (Editing by Anoop Menon) ( Subscribe to our Projects' PULSE newsletter that brings you trustworthy news, updates and insights on project activities, developments, and partnerships across sectors in the Middle East and Africa.
Zawya
20-05-2025
- Zawya
ADAFSA reaffirms commitment to advancing Emirati honeybee breed
The Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA) reiterates its unwavering support for Emirati beekeepers, in celebration of World Bee Day, observed annually on 20th May. This commitment is exemplified through the continued provision of high-quality queen bees from the Emirati honeybee breed, aiming to ensure the sustainability of the beekeeping sector and enhance the production of premium local honey varieties such as Samar, Sidr, Ghaf, Mangrove, and wildflower. Between March and April 2025, ADAFSA successfully bred and produced 2,100 tenth-generation queen bees of the Emirati honeybee breed. This initiative is part of ADAFSA's ongoing efforts to develop a resilient local bee strain, reducing reliance on imported bee colonies and ensuring the sustainability of beekeeping practices within the UAE. From 2016 to 2024, ADAFSA produced nine generations of Emirati queen bees, totalling 18,692 queens, with 14,461 distributed to beekeepers across the nation. In the current year, ADAFSA has distributed 1,350 tenth-generation queens to 39 beekeepers. The breeding programme aims to produce 2,300 queens during the spring season (March–May) and an additional 3,000 queens in the autumn season (October–November), culminating in a total of 5,300 tenth-generation queens by the end of 2025. ADAFSA is intensifying efforts to elevate local honey to global markets. From 31st January to 9th February 2025, the authority organised the Al Wathba Honey Festival, held in conjunction with the Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Agricultural Excellence Award at the Sheikh Zayed Festival in Al Wathba, Abu Dhabi. The festival featured participation from 50 beekeepers and honey production companies. It included eight competitions, introducing new categories for the best wax mould and best honey product packaging. A total of 272 participants competed, with 40 winners receiving prizes amounting to AED439,000. To further promote awareness of the unique value of Emirati honey, ADAFSA produced an educational video showcasing the diverse honey varieties derived from the UAE's varied landscapes—from the mountains of Al Ain and the deserts of Abu Dhabi to the mangrove coasts. Highlighted honey types include Samar, Sidr, Ghaf, Mangrove, and wildflower honeys. The video underscores the pivotal role of beekeepers and queen bees in producing this valuable nectar and emphasises ADAFSA's efforts in developing the Emirati honeybee breed. It also highlights honey's status as a natural source rich in antioxidants with numerous health benefits. The video conveys the message that protecting bees is a civilised practice essential for sustaining biodiversity and food security in the country. In the realm of guidance and education, ADAFSA has conducted various workshops and scientific seminars on beekeeping and honey production. Topics covered include preparing honey samples for local and international competitions, evaluation mechanisms in honey contests, and interactive sessions with beekeepers to discuss challenges in the beekeeping sector and strategies to overcome them. Additionally, ADAFSA has implemented two training courses on the fundamentals of beekeeping, targeting novice beekeepers, and another course on the breeding and introduction of queen honeybees. These courses are scheduled to be repeated in October 2025. Furthermore, a training course on honeybee pests and diseases and their control methods is planned for June 2025, aiming to maintain healthy bee colonies capable of thriving in the UAE's conditions and producing high-quality products. In support of events focused on honey, ADAFSA, in collaboration with the Beekeepers Association, played an active role in organising and evaluating the 13th edition of the International Meeting of Young Beekeepers (IMYB), held in Dubai from 18th to 22nd December 2024. This marked the first time this global event was hosted outside Europe, reflecting ADAFSA's commitment to fostering a culture of beekeeping among youth both locally and internationally. The event brought together over 100 young participants aged 12 to 18 from more than 40 countries. Activities included practical and theoretical competitions, educational workshops, and cultural programmes designed to facilitate knowledge exchange and raise awareness about the importance of bees in food security and environmental sustainability. As part of its educational initiatives, ADAFSA has published a comprehensive scientific guide titled "Bees and Beekeeping in the United Arab Emirates," the first of its kind locally. The publication highlights the biodiversity of bee species, sustainable hive management practices, and environmental challenges facing the beekeeping sector in the UAE. An accompanying children's booklet has been released to educate young readers about the significance of bees and honey production in an accessible and engaging manner. In its ongoing efforts in monitoring and prevention, ADAFSA has recently launched a national project to monitor diseases and pests affecting honeybee colonies. The project aims to establish an accurate database of health challenges threatening the Emirati honeybee breed and to develop a comprehensive national plan to manage these challenges in accordance with global best practices. The project's findings are expected to be announced in the first quarter of 2026.
Al Etihad
20-05-2025
- Al Etihad
ADAFSA reaffirms commitment to advancing Emirati honeybee breed
20 May 2025 14:14 ABU DHABI (WAM) The Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA) reiterates its unwavering support for Emirati beekeepers, in celebration of World Bee Day, observed annually on May commitment is exemplified through the continued provision of high-quality queen bees from the Emirati honeybee breed, aiming to ensure the sustainability of the beekeeping sector and enhance the production of premium local honey varieties such as Samar, Sidr, Ghaf, Mangrove, and March and April 2025, ADAFSA successfully bred and produced 2,100 tenth-generation queen bees of the Emirati honeybee breed. This initiative is part of ADAFSA's ongoing efforts to develop a resilient local bee strain, reducing reliance on imported bee colonies and ensuring the sustainability of beekeeping practices within the 2016 to 2024, ADAFSA produced nine generations of Emirati queen bees, totalling 18,692 queens, with 14,461 distributed to beekeepers across the the current year, ADAFSA has distributed 1,350 tenth-generation queens to 39 beekeepers. The breeding programme aims to produce 2,300 queens during the spring season (March–May) and an additional 3,000 queens in the autumn season (October–November), culminating in a total of 5,300 tenth-generation queens by the end of is intensifying efforts to elevate local honey to global January 31 to February 9, 2025, the authority organised the Al Wathba Honey Festival, held in conjunction with the Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Agricultural Excellence Award at the Sheikh Zayed Festival in Al Wathba, Abu festival featured participation from 50 beekeepers and honey production included eight competitions, introducing new categories for the best wax mould and best honey product packaging. A total of 272 participants competed, with 40 winners receiving prizes amounting to Dh439,000. To further promote awareness of the unique value of Emirati honey, ADAFSA produced an educational video showcasing the diverse honey varieties derived from the UAE's varied landscapes—from the mountains of Al Ain and the deserts of Abu Dhabi to the mangrove honey types include Samar, Sidr, Ghaf, Mangrove, and wildflower honeys. The video underscores the pivotal role of beekeepers and queen bees in producing this valuable nectar and emphasises ADAFSA's efforts in developing the Emirati honeybee breed. It also highlights honey's status as a natural source rich in antioxidants with numerous health video conveys the message that protecting bees is a civilised practice essential for sustaining biodiversity and food security in the the realm of guidance and education, ADAFSA has conducted various workshops and scientific seminars on beekeeping and honey covered include preparing honey samples for local and international competitions, evaluation mechanisms in honey contests, and interactive sessions with beekeepers to discuss challenges in the beekeeping sector and strategies to overcome ADAFSA has implemented two training courses on the fundamentals of beekeeping, targeting novice beekeepers, and another course on the breeding and introduction of queen courses are scheduled to be repeated in October 2025. Furthermore, a training course on honeybee pests and diseases and their control methods is planned for June 2025, aiming to maintain healthy bee colonies capable of thriving in the UAE's conditions and producing high-quality support of events focused on honey, ADAFSA, in collaboration with the Beekeepers Association, played an active role in organising and evaluating the 13th edition of the International Meeting of Young Beekeepers (IMYB), held in Dubai from December 18 to 22, 2024. This marked the first time this global event was hosted outside Europe, reflecting ADAFSA's commitment to fostering a culture of beekeeping among youth both locally and event brought together over 100 young participants aged 12 to 18 from more than 40 countries. Activities included practical and theoretical competitions, educational workshops, and cultural programmes designed to facilitate knowledge exchange and raise awareness about the importance of bees in food security and environmental part of its educational initiatives, ADAFSA has published a comprehensive scientific guide titled "Bees and Beekeeping in the United Arab Emirates," the first of its kind publication highlights the biodiversity of bee species, sustainable hive management practices, and environmental challenges facing the beekeeping sector in the UAE. An accompanying children's booklet has been released to educate young readers about the significance of bees and honey production in an accessible and engaging its ongoing efforts in monitoring and prevention, ADAFSA has recently launched a national project to monitor diseases and pests affecting honeybee colonies. The project aims to establish an accurate database of health challenges threatening the Emirati honeybee breed and to develop a comprehensive national plan to manage these challenges in accordance with global best practices. The project's findings are expected to be announced in the first quarter of 2026.
