Nema initiative

ne’ma, the National Food Loss and Waste Initiative, is a reflection of UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, vision and call for action to address over-consumption and building a UAE-wide social norm around responsible and sustainable consumption, bringing back UAE’s rooted traditional values of social responsibility and good stewardship of national resources.

It is a collaboration between the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment and Emirates Foundation, that will promote and align shared action by key national stakeholders including government, private sector, NGOs and communities to address food loss and waste across the whole value chain, from production to consumption, covering farms, producers, distributors, retailers, restaurants and households with the aim to tackle current behaviors and attitudes to build new national social norms around responsible consumption that contribute to food loss and waste reduction

Nema initiative Focus

Main Objectives

Engage all stakeholders across the food value chain to take actions that can help reduce food loss and waste and drive systemic changes and circular economy through collaborative efforts to achieve the UAE’s target of reducing Food loss & Waste by 50% by 2030.
Tackle over-consumption and food loss and waste with the aim of building a UAE-wide social norm of responsible and sustainable consumption in line with UAE Food Security Strategy and UN SDG 12.3.