Think before tosssing away your food

dubai — Reducing food wastage has been identified as a key target by the UAE government in recent years, with many initiatives and social campaigns being launched to highlight the issue.

Speaking at a panel discussion at the 2016 Sharjah FDI Forum, Marwan bin Jassim Al Sarkal, CEO of the Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq), highlighted the importance of reducing food waste across the different emirates.

“Sharjah today has the biggest waste segregation plant in the Middle East, and we also have a facility that recycles waste into energy. However, there are still many opportunities for us to do more in this sector, including improving energy efficiency and food waste management.”

A 2014 report by the Environment Agency in Abu Dhabi revealed that GCC countries were among the world’s top generators of food waste; and that in the UAE, food waste in a month comprises 39 per cent of an average household’s organic waste.

As food wastage becomes a key global public and social issue, suppliers and transport providers say the stage is set for innovation to transform the way the UAE handles its food distribution and re-exports. A new breed of intelligent logistics solutions could save five per cent of the UAE’s multi-billion billion food wastage, according to industry experts.

Transformational technology and systems will be in focus at November’s Logistics Solutions Middle East — a dedicated zone within Gulfood Manufacturing — at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) as the industry moves to shave the country’s food wastage bill, currently put at 3.27 million tonnes worth some Dh13.6 billion by Abu Dhabi’s Massar Solutions.

Improved storage

“The UN’s Food and Agriculture Association has stated that substantial savings can be made in food loss and waste through improved storage and transportation,” said Trixie LohMirmand, senior vice-president of events