Initiative launched to reduce food waste in the country

The UAE Food Bank, under the umbrella of Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, has launched the Preserving the Blessing in Our Neighbourhood initiative to promote a culture of sustainability and food preservation, while enhancing community partnership to help reduce food waste, support food security, and reinforce the values of giving and social responsibility.

The initiative is being held at the Quranic Park until Feb.12, with the participation of 150 volunteers delivering the programme through donation registration, donor reception and organisation, surplus food inventory, food basket preparation, and awareness and educational workshops.

The initiative seeks to achieve a range of humanitarian, social, and environmental objectives by promoting compassion and generosity among community members, encouraging the donation of surplus food, advancing sustainable food practices, protecting the environment by reducing waste and diverting it from landfills, strengthening community participation, raising awareness of responsible consumption behaviour, and inviting participants to sign the food preservation pledge.

Commenting on the initiative, Manal Obaid Bin Yaroof, Head of the Executive Team of the UAE Food Bank, said, “Preserving the Blessing in Our Neighbourhood forms part of a series of community initiatives implemented by the Bank throughout the year to enhance public awareness of the importance of food preservation and to spread a culture of sustainability through interactive and educational activities that create lasting impact.”

She added, “We have chosen neighbourhoods as the starting point for this initiative to deliver humanitarian, social, and environmental messages that reflect the UAE Food Bank’s comprehensive approach to the planning and management of surplus food.

“The initiative supports the reduction of waste, the efficient collection and distribution of food to beneficiaries, and the promotion of responsible consumption behaviours that deliver positive environmental outcomes by lowering carbon emissions and diverting surplus food away from landfills.”

The initiative includes awareness activities, volunteer registration, children’s programmes, and outreach to neighbourhood residents, inviting them to donate surplus food, sign the food preservation pledge, record food donations, and prepare food baskets or containers of cooked meals for distribution to beneficiaries in coordination with charitable entities.

Contributing partners to the Preserving the Blessing in Our Neighbourhood initiative include Dubai Municipality, ADNH Catering, charitable associations, and private packaging and logistics companies.

This reflects the Bank’s ongoing efforts to strengthen strategic partnerships and expand collaboration with a wide range of stakeholders, including international humanitarian organisations and private sector companies.

The UAE Food Bank continues to launch humanitarian initiatives and charitable campaigns aimed at reinforcing the UAE’s approach to philanthropy and humanitarian work.

Through its programmes, the Bank promotes the values of giving, supports community engagement, and raises awareness of responsible consumption practices that preserve food and reduce waste.

The Bank also works to achieve its humanitarian objectives by collecting surplus food and distributing it to beneficiaries, while strengthening partnerships to support national goals.

In December 2025, the UAE Food Bank’s event celebrated a wide group of strategic partners, contributors, and volunteers whose participation continues to underpin the Bank’s humanitarian mandate.

Held at Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai, the ceremony took place in the presence of Marwan Ahmad Bin Ghalita, Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the UAE Food Bank, members of the Board, representatives of government and semi-government entities, private-sector partners, volunteer teams, and supporting organisations.

The ceremony honoured 67 entities that played a pivotal role in supporting the Bank’s programmes and initiatives throughout the year.

Honourees included 37 recipients of the Endowment Mark, partners and donors from various sectors, individual and institutional volunteers, former institutional teams, and several influencers who helped amplify the Bank’s mission.

WAM