Abu Dhabi, UAE – ne’ma - the National Food Loss and Waste Initiative, announced its collaboration with Taste of Abu Dhabi 2024, as its official “Food Waste Reduction Partner”. This collaboration aims to educate festival goers on global food waste solutions at one of the UAE's most popular culinary events. The community event will take place between November 15 and 17 at Gateway Park South on Yas Island and is expected to attract around 17,000 visitors.

Throughout the three-day event, ne’ma will collaborate with participating chefs, participating restaurants and vendors to manage food waste effectively. ne’ma will also educate visitors on how food waste occurs, providing practical solutions that can be easily implemented in day-to-day life.

As the national custodian for combatting food loss and waste - ne’ma is strategically partnering with ReLoop to compost food scraps and organic materials generated at the event, converting the waste into nutrient-rich compost for local farms. This partnership ensures no food waste ends up in landfills.

Khuloud Hasan Al Nuwais, Chief Sustainability Officer of Emirates Foundation and ne’ma Steering Committee Secretary-General said, “Food waste in the UAE is estimated at 3.5 million tons annually, highlighting the critical need for partnerships to drive meaningful change. Our collaboration with Taste of Abu Dhabi enables ne’ma to engage with the community directly and sets a new standard for event organizers to minimize their carbon footprint. By providing practical solutions and raising awareness, we aim to influence individual behaviors and contribute to a broader cultural shift in our approach to food consumption.”

“We are proud to be partnering with ne’ma to be part of a solution that is so important for the community and wider global efforts to reduce food waste,” said a Taste of Abu Dhabi spokesperson.

 “As we deliver major festivals in the UAE, we are delighted that we can use our platform to not only spread joy and entertainment, but also integrate meaningful initiatives on a large scale to thousands of people.”

Through effective advocacy, partnerships, and outreach, ne’ma’s vision is to transform the UAE into a country where no food is wasted.

About ne’ma

ne’ma – the National Food Loss and Waste Initiative, is a response to the call to action by the President of the United Arab Emirates, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, to reduce food waste, encourage individual and social responsibility, and promote sustainable practices across the food value chain.

Established in 2022, ne’ma aims to address overproduction and overconsumption and build new standards that can contribute to the reduction of food loss and food waste, reconnecting with the country’s deep-rooted traditional values of social responsibility and mindful stewardship of national resources.

For more information, please visit: www.nema.ae

About Taste of Abu Dhabi

Taste of Abu Dhabi is a premier food festival that showcases the best of Abu Dhabi’s culinary scene, featuring local restaurants, live cooking demonstrations, and exciting activities for food lovers of all ages.

For more information, please visit: www.tasteofabudhabifestival.com

About MENA Live Events

Founded in the UAE in 2022, MENA Live Events is determined to deliver fresh and innovative world-class events, driven by its team of international talent and decades of combined speciality experience. With a keen focus on consumer and corporate events in the region, MENA Live Events provides full 360 event solutions by harnessing its future forward event managers, specialist marketers and operations experts in order to produce compelling campaigns, unmissable experiences, and events that drive guest engagement like never before.

Website: https://www.mena-events.com