UAE-based b2b digital platform Right Farm, which sources fresh produce from local and international farms for the food service sector, has partnered with The Waste Lab, an impact-driven startup that helps divert food and organic waste from landfills and uses them to create healthy compost and other byproducts.
Right Farm and The Waste Lab will collaboratively work towards minimising and repurposing food wastage while simultaneously enhancing the UAE’s circular economy so that it can tackle pressing challenges like food security, climate change, biodiversity loss, and waste.
At a total cost of Dhs13bn, 3.27 million tonnes of food go to UAE landfills each year; it is estimated that each resident contributes, on average, a resounding 197 kilograms of waste.
The partnership will also support key UAE initiatives such as the National Food Security Strategy 2051, UAE Net Zero 2050 and Ne’ma Pledge. Furthermore, it will also align with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) to help achieve zero hunger, sustainable cities and communities, responsible consumption and production, climate action, and life on land.
Right Farm aims to continuously optimise its efficient management of generated food scraps from fruits, vegetables, and trimmings in a sustainable and regenerative manner that gives back to the soil and creates local resources. The Waste Lab will accordingly deploy an allocated treatment of compostables whilst advising on segregation guidelines and streamlined collection procedures and processes that are carried out through composting and various repurposing channels.
The partnership also aims to build awareness around the importance of repurposing food waste and composting, and the impact of diverting these resources from landfills can have on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and giving back to the soil.
Elie Skaf, co-founder and CEO of Right Farm, commented: “Reducing food waste, which accounts for 8 per cent of global greenhouse gases, can improve air quality, save lives, and gets us one step closer to fully realising a seamless circular economy. This is just one of the many reasons that working towards a zero-waste future is essential. The global food tech market is projected to reach $342bn by 2027 because it is becoming a proven method of enhancing food security and sustainability.
“We look forward to contributing to this growth, through a prosperous partnership with The Waste Lab, to achieve a more sustainable food system that is spurred forward through innovation and technology.”
Earlier this year, the Right Farm also entered into an agreement with Circa Biotech, the region’s first waste-to-feed project, aimed at creating a circular economy by utilising industrial insect farming to upcycle organic waste into protein-rich animal feed and organic fertiliser.
Lara Hussein, co-founder, and CEO of The Waste Lab, added: “Consumption of food in the country is anticipated to surpass 52.4 million tonnes by 2025, and with this increase, there are more chances for wastage. That is why we are working with communities and businesses to bring awareness and to build practices around proper segregation at the source, repurposing and nature-based composting, building soil and reducing GHG emissions. We are thrilled to be partnering with Right Farm for not only the UAE’s betterment, but also for the extended region, and ultimately the world.”
