Right Farm, a disruptive UAE-based Business-to-Business (B2B) digital platform that sources fresh produce from local and international farms for the food service sector, today announced its partnership with The Waste Lab, an impact-driven start-up that helps divert food and organic waste from landfills and uses them to create healthy compost and other by-products that benefit the UAE’s soil, farms, food, and creates jobs.
At a total cost of AED 13 billion, 3.27 million tons of food go to UAE landfills each year; it is estimated that each resident contributes, on average, a resounding 197kg of waste. Right Farm and The Waste Lab will collaboratively work towards minimizing 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.
The partnership will effectively contribute towards realizing key UAE initiatives like 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 optimize 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 GHG Emissions and giving back to the soil.
With UAE food trade exceeding AED 100 billion every year, companies and people are increasingly seeking out solutions to combat any negative impacts that are associated with a growing population and rising demand for natural resources. Right Farm has been consistently looking to leverage partnerships in its pursuit of a brighter future for our region’s food systems and the planet’s environment.
Elie Skaf, Co-Founder & CEO of Right Farm, commented: “Reducing food waste, which accounts for 8% of global GHGs, can improve air quality, save lives, and gets us one step closer to fully realizing 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 $342 billion 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.”
Lara Hussein, Co-Founder & 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.”
Earlier this year, the B2B tech-enabled platform also entered into an agreement with Circa Biotech, the region’s first waste-to-feed project, aimed at creating a circular economy by utilizing industrial insect farming to upcycle organic waste into protein-rich animal feed and organic fertilizer. This most recent partnership with The Waste Lab is another step in achieving the company’s vision and building a more sustainable and regenerative food supply chain.
