Mall of the Emirates' 'Feed the Future' Initiative Aims to Halve Food Waste by 2030.

Mall of the Emirates, which is owned and managed by Majid Al Futtaim, has started its first food rescue initiative, titled "Feed the Future." The new program focuses on salvaging edible food from Mall of the Emirates restaurants, cafés, the Food Court, and workforce catering and redistributing them to the community. Vendors at Mall of the Emirates will be able to plan and monitor donations, as well as organize pickups with the UAE Food Bank, which will subsequently distribute the gifts to charity organizations and groups, including employees in community living and their families. In addition, renters may contribute to the "Feed the Future Fridge" at Mall of the Emirates by registering online, allowing people in need to receive free food when they visit the mall. The Mall of the Emirates, located on the first floor adjacent to the "Le Burger" aisle, seeks to deliver 200 dinners every week.

According to Dubai Carbon Centre of Excellence, the United Arab Emirates is among the top countries for per capita waste creation, with over 38% of daily food preparations being wasted. According to reports, the breakdown of food waste produces methane gas, which is 25 times more destructive than CO2. Due to the fact that the UAE imports 90 percent of its food, it is especially vulnerable to food shortages and instability. To solve this problem, 'Feed the Future' utilizes Replate to automate the food rescue process and link F&B businesses in the mall to underprivileged areas, all while complying to the strictest environmental standards for food preparation.

In addition, the platform will monitor the environmental and social effect of "Feed the Future" F&B establishments will have access to the overall number of pounds of food they contribute each month, as well as the number of meals provided, the amount of water saved, and the amount of carbon dioxide diverted from the environment. In addition, they will be equipped with source reduction tools to observe trends, minimize waste in the future, and save money. Besh Turkish Kitchen, Nando's, P. F. Chang's, Paul Café, Pinkberry, Shake Shack, The Butcher & Grill, The Cheesecake Factory, and Sheraton Mall of the Emirates Hotel are now participating restaurants.

Fuad Sharaf, Managing Director, UAE Shopping Malls, Majid Al Futtaim Properties, says, "As a leading shopping destination, we have an important role in supporting and protecting the environment, so we look forward to collaborating with our tenants in Mall of the Emirates to collectively address the critical issue of food waste." Our strategic relationship with Replate and the UAE Foodbank is simply the beginning of our journey towards sustainability as we strive towards Majid Al Futtaim's objective of being Net Positive by 2040. Mall of the Emirates urges all of its food and beverage establishments to participate in this effort and strive toward sharing and reusing resources for a sustainable future."

To participate, F&B outlets at Mall of the Emirates just need to register as a vendor at replate.org, nominate a sustainability hero to represent the firm, and the timetable will be determined by Replate's platform. Replate will then itemize contributions by date to document the total money provided as well as the quantity of each food item to assist F&B establishments in the mall in reducing and preventing future food waste.

Sayed Essa Al Hashimi, Acting Director of Food Security Department at Dubai Municipality, on behalf of the UAE Food Bank, stated, "The future directions of the UAE Food Bank include expanding strategic partnerships with food establishments, companies, and hotels to donate surplus food, digital transformation to ensure easy access to the greatest number of beneficiaries and donors, contributing to the circular economy, and expanding and spreading globally and regionally to reach more people."

Mall of the Emirates partnered with Emirates Environmental Group and Fujairah Municipality earlier this year to plant 1,250 indigenous Ghaf and Sidr seedling trees in Fujairah, demonstrating its dedication to fostering a more sustainable future.