A number of food waste food stories have been doing the rounds in local media over the past month or so, in the run-up to Ramadan and during the Holy Month.
They are similar to the type of stories that make global headlines once or twice a year, lamenting society’s wasteful nature when it comes to food — usually when a new study releases damning figures about perfectly usable food being thrown away.
According to Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), almost a third of food produced for human consumption — approximately 1.3 billion tonnes per year — is lost or wasted globally, which impacts food security and the sustainability of food systems.
This is a staggering statistic and represents a missed opportunity to improve food security and our treatment of the environment.
On a local level, figures emerged last month that during Ramadan in Abu Dhabi, the daily amount of waste generated is 10% more than the 1.73 kilograms that each person produces, on average, each day. It is very easy to overestimate how much you are going to be able to eat.
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However, buffets similar to those enjoyed at iftar and suhoor are not unusual — on any given day, year-round, you can find an ‘all you can eat’ buffet anywhere in the region. In places like Dubai, they’re even a firm fixture of many people’s weekend.
Accordingly, unless this approach to dining is phased out, and portion sizes are drastically reduced as well, restaurants and hotels will always have some surplus food.
It might, therefore, make more sense — or be slightly easier — to tackle the problem from another perspective. And this is where, I am pleased to say, there have been heartening efforts in the region.
Caterer has received more messages lately from F&B outlets and hotels, explaining how they are no longer consigning uneaten, usable food to the bin. One of the ways this is being done is though donations, namely Dubai’s Municipality’s Heafz Al Na’amah, which organises surplus food distributions to local families and labourers.
Sebastian Nohse, director of culinary at JW Marriott Marquis Dubai, which recently signed up to the initiative, told Caterer he believes “all hotels and restaurants should look at contributing to donations” — and it is a view I personally agree with. If more businesses do this, perhaps there will come a time when we won't see as much as 30% of the world's food supply wasted.
The F&B sector is in the position of being able to help address the problem and, on that note, if you are one of those stepping up to the plate, Caterer would love to hear from you about your efforts.
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