ADQ partners with ne’ma to support the UAE’s efforts to reduce food loss and waste

ADQ, an Abu Dhabi-based investment and holding company, announced the signing of a multi-year partnership agreement with ne’ma, the UAE’s National Food Loss and Waste Initiative. Launched in 2022 in the presence of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE and Ruler of Abu Dhabi, ne’ma is a collaboration between the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment and Emirates Foundation that aims to support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (UNSDG) 12.3 to reduce food loss and waste by 50 percent by 2030.

According to the United Nations, approximately 13 percent of food is lost between harvest and retail, while an additional 19 percent is wasted at the consumption level (retail, food services and household). Together, food loss and waste account for 8 to 10 percent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. 

ne’ma drives policy change and initiates projects to address the root causes of food waste. This collaboration allows ADQ to play a role in enhancing the resilience of the local food system and strengthening its comprehensive investments in the food and agriculture sector in the UAE and abroad. ADQ’s partnership with ne’ma also aligns with its broader commitment to accelerating the socioeconomic development of Abu Dhabi and the wider UAE.

Mansour AlMulla, Deputy Group Chief Executive Officer at ADQ, said: “As a major investor in the local food and agriculture sector, we believe it is critical to ensure that enabling and upscaling the production of adequate, affordable and nutritious food goes alongside the preservation of food as a precious natural resource. Our partnership with ne’ma reflects our dedication to ensuring that the remarkable activities that ne’ma has brought underway in the past two years receive the attention and community support they need to initiate lasting, fundamental change of the food system here in the UAE.”‍

Khuloud Al Nuwais, Chief Sustainability Officer Emirates Foundation, and Secretary General ne'ma Committee said: "This partnership with ADQ underscores the critical role of public-private sector collaboration in meeting the UAE’s ambitious goal to halve food loss and waste by 2030, aligning with UN Sustainable Development Goal 12.3. Through these partnerships, we are harnessing the most innovative solutions to transform our food systems, ensuring that safeguarding our food resources is at the core of our national food security strategy. By joining hands, we maximize our efforts and create lasting impacts for our communities and our planet."

As part of the agreement, ADQ and ne’ma will explore the development of joint initiatives, alongside collaboration opportunities with third parties, to reduce food loss across the entire value chain, from production to consumption, and promote responsible consumption habits. ne’ma will also provide ADQ with data identifying food loss hotspots and systemic gaps to address challenges and find solutions. 

As the UAE heavily relies on food imports due to its desert climate, ADQ’s Food & Agriculture cluster works towards closing supply chain gaps and scaling production sustainably by driving investments in agricultural technology solutions and expanding domestic farming capabilities. 

ADQ’s key assets in the sector include Agthia Group, which manufactures and sells essential food and beverage categories, including water, flour and animal feed; Silal, a company which facilitates the production, sourcing and distribution of essential foods in the UAE; Unifrutti Group, a leading global producer and distributer of high-quality fresh fruit; Louis Dreyfus Company, a leading international agri-commodities and food company; Lulu Group International, a leading hypermarket and supermarket chain in the Middle East; and Al Dahra Group, which cultivates, produces and trades animal feed and essential food commodities.