ne'ma Partners with Taste of Dubai to Champion Food Waste Reduction
ne'ma, the National Food Loss and Waste Initiative, is joining forces with Taste of Dubai to promote sustainability and reduce food waste at one of the city's premier culinary festivals.
This collaboration builds on their successful partnership at Taste of Abu Dhabi 2024, where ne'ma helped divert 310 kilograms of food waste from landfills, prevented 775 kilograms of CO2e emissions, and generated 62 kilograms of compost.
Taking place from February 14-16 at Dubai Media City Amphitheatre, Taste of Dubai is expected to welcome around 25,000 visitors. Throughout the event, ne'ma will work closely with chefs, restaurants, and vendors to implement effective waste management strategies and educate attendees on minimizing food waste in their daily lives.
Khuloud Hasan Al Nuwais, Chief Sustainability Officer of Emirates Foundation and ne'ma Steering Committee Secretary-General, emphasized the importance of the initiative, stating, 'Following the success of our initiative with Taste of Abu Dhabi, we are proud to extend our impact at Taste of Dubai. By providing practical solutions and raising awareness, we aim to inspire long-term behavioral change and shift towards more responsible food consumption.'
Maddy Spicer, Marketing Director of MENA Live Events, highlighted the significance of the partnership, saying, 'We are delighted to be working with ne'ma to contribute to global food waste reduction efforts. As we continue to host major festivals in the region, integrating meaningful initiatives ensures we deliver both entertainment and sustainability.'
To facilitate efficient waste management, trained personnel will oversee waste segregation, with dedicated bins for restaurants and cooking stations. Vendors will receive guidance on waste reduction, and all collected food waste will be composted and repurposed for agricultural use, reinforcing a sustainable approach to large-scale events in the UAE.
News Source: Emirates News Agency
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Al Etihad
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- Al Etihad
UAE launches first National Food Loss, Waste Baseline Study
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Khaleej Times
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- Khaleej Times
Turning leftovers into solutions: How this UAE-based startup is rethinking food waste
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At the household level, HeroGo, a UAE-based startup, works with farms and suppliers to collect surplus and imperfect produce — fruits and vegetables that are perfectly edible but often rejected by retailers. The 'ugly' misshapen items are packed into bright green boxes and delivered to homes at a lower price, making sustainable shopping more accessible. By the close of 2023, HeroGo had diverted over 317,000 kilograms of produce from landfills and donated 26,000 meals, working toward a year-end target of 107,000. In hotel kitchens across the UAE, Hilton is quietly redesigning the way breakfast is served — and what gets wasted. As part of its Green Breakfast Initiative, the hotel group rolled out a four-month pilot across 13 properties, using AI-powered tracking tools to monitor what was being thrown out, both behind the scenes and off guests' plates. The result: a 62 per cent drop in food waste, translating to more than 400,000 meals saved and nearly 726 tonnes of CO2 emissions avoided. Much of the change came from rethinking buffet prep — cutting back on overproduction, adjusting portion sizes, and training staff to respond to real-time data. Guests, too, were nudged toward more mindful choices with subtle signage and smaller serving plates. In a country where food waste runs high in the hospitality sector, it's a clear sign of what's possible when kitchens start paying closer attention to what ends up in the bin. On the infrastructure side, GigaFarm is laying the groundwork for one of the region's largest waste-to-resource operations. The 900,000-square-foot facility, part of Dubai's Food Tech Valley, will be able to process 50,000 tonnes of food waste a year — converting scraps into compost, animal feed, and reclaimed water to support vertical farming on site. The idea is to create a fully closed-loop system, showing what circular agriculture can look like in a place where food security and sustainability are tightly linked. A similar approach is already in motion further south, where Circa Biotech, an Abu Dhabi-based startup, is turning trash into feed — literally. Using black soldier fly larvae, Circa takes in organic waste from supermarkets and food producers and feeds it to the insects. Once grown, the larvae are processed into high-protein feed for poultry and aquaculture, while their frass (a nutrient-rich byproduct) is turned into organic fertilizer. The startup, which launched its pilot facility in Masdar City, calls it a 'nature-based solution' to two growing problems: mounting food waste and overreliance on imported feed. It's local, scalable, and circular by design — exactly the kind of model the UAE is betting on to turn its waste into something useful. 'We complement these initiatives rather than compete with them. 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Hi Dubai
27-03-2025
- Hi Dubai
UAE Food Bank and ‘Ne'ma' Join Forces to Distribute One Million Meals During Ramadan
The UAE Food Bank has partnered with the National Food Loss and Waste Initiative, Ne'ma, to enhance food sustainability and support underprivileged communities. The initiative, launched during the holy month of Ramadan, aims to provide one million meals from surplus food while promoting environmental responsibility. Now in its third consecutive year, this effort aligns with the UAE's broader commitment to social welfare and sustainability, particularly following the declaration of 2025 as the Year of the Community. The initiative involves collaboration with over 75 hotel establishments to safely collect and distribute untouched surplus food to eligible beneficiaries across the UAE. Implemented in Dubai, in coordination with the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, the initiative ensures efficient food redistribution. The UAE Food Bank will manage consumable food surplus while converting inedible food into oil and agricultural compost through a partnership with the Reloop app by iCycle International Recycling. This approach not only minimizes waste but also supports the circular economy and environmental protection efforts. Khuloud Hassan Al Nowais, Chief Sustainability Officer at Emirates Foundation and Secretary General of the Ne'ma Committee, emphasized the initiative's impact: "Our collaboration is a crucial step in fostering resource sustainability and reducing food waste. By leveraging innovative, technology-driven solutions, we are ensuring safe and efficient food distribution while reinforcing the UAE's commitment to social responsibility and environmental preservation." Manal Bin Yaroof, Head of the Executive Team at the UAE Food Bank, highlighted the strategic vision behind the initiative: "This partnership strengthens our mission to combat food waste comprehensively. By collecting, preserving, and delivering surplus food with the highest standards, we uphold the values of generosity and sustainability that define the UAE Food Bank's core purpose." This initiative marks a significant milestone in the UAE's ongoing efforts to promote food security, sustainability, and community support during Ramadan and beyond. News Source: Emirates News Agency
