Essential Transformations: A Sustainable Food & Beverage Industry

There is something about a new year that brings hope and optimism on how we can move seemingly insurmountable mountains through sheer willpower and mindset.? My hope is that people start moving in greater numbers towards restaurants, cafés, bars, local producers, and growers who communicate their work around sustainability commitments.

So, who will step up?

Coming down from COP28 saturation, the climate remains my top motivator to effect sustainability. With no better reminder than science (again) reporting earth surface and ocean temperature heat records, there is much at stake. Warmer temperatures have trended for the past nine years, solely caused by us.

Sustainability is complex but we should use this as a great excuse.? We don’t need to engage with everything available to change the trajectory.? Keep it simple, step on the accelerator, and get moving.

1.???? Waste nothing.

When we waste food, we waste money – AED6 billion annually in the UAE according to Ne’ma, the national food loss and waste initiative.? With a goal of reducing food waste by 50% by 2030 (time check:? less than 6 years from today), we need to make drastic changes at every point in the chain.

Reducing food waste is by far the most effective way to reduce emissions but we need to look beyond what’s discarded - review all input.? What are we starting with? Could we do more to minimise from the beginning and maximise every ingredient?? Could we create something useful from waste??

There are an encouraging number of innovative solution providers addressing the food waste issue, offering options at multiple points.? At the policy and strategy level, working with government, non-profits, and development programs, Thriving Solutions analyse issues and design interventions specific to the Arab region.? Replate is working with food operators at the Mall of the Emirates redirecting food surplus to workers and the Food Bank. The Waste Lab picks up food scraps from hospitality operators and makes compost that builds healthy soil.? eJaby by Tekeya Global is about to make a UAE debut, allowing food providers to sell stock before it expires (huge purchasing benefits for small café owners) and HeroGo celebrates “naturally-shaped” produce by working with growers and importers, allowing consumers to reduce their grocery spend and divert otherwise healthy food from landfill.

And there are others.? What partners are you working with that support the reduction of food waste?

2.???? Embrace a plant-rich plate.

With agriculture responsible for 1/3 of total global emissions, we desperately need to transform our food systems.? Eating less meat and more plants is one way to reduce emissions from a growing population.?

Maintaining respect for culinary traditions and personal preferences is still important but incremental changes such as incorporating more pulses (beans, lentils, peas, chickpeas), nuts and seeds, offer valuable and efficient nutrition.? Add affordability, a long shelf life and huge benefits for the environment and this swap, results in a significant drop in our carbon foot print.?

In our aim to eradicate poverty, we have become short-sighted, relying heavily on a handful of crops, and growing them at industrial scales.? Creating an overwhelming burden on our ecosystems, food affordability and quality are on a decline, placing pressure on food security.? Giving more visibility and easier access to a variety of plant-rich dishes will help us make behavioural changes, resulting in improved outcomes in health and national food security.

This year, Omar Shihab at Boca is exploring how more nature-based solutions on its menu can support fostering resilient food systems in the UAE.? Crops like quinoa, pearl millet and salicornia grow successfully in our high salinity and water-scarce conditions and are increasingly being recognised as viable and nutritious ingredients.? Other natives such as ?seedaf, homaid and khansour are integrated throughout Boca’s menu, not only as garnishes but in purees, pickles and dressings.? It’s time to look at these climate-resistant ingredients available on our doorstep.

What future foods are you incorporating into your menus this year?

3. Understand carbon.?

If everyone understood carbon like they do calories, we’d be further ahead.?

For food service operators, it’s a business fundamental to know costs inside and out.?? Heads up - it’s soon going to be imperative to understand your biggest impacts because disclosure regulations are on the rise and so are crucial implementation stages of national strategy and policy.? If you are not able to demonstrate where and how you are contributing to the reduction of emissions, you’ll be on the back foot.

Our current food system is water-intensive so we need to consider how water is embedded in the products we select. We also can’t ignore that we live in a desert and with that, every drop of water we consume comes with an environmental cost.? If we thought of water along the same lines as gold or oil, we’d think twice about how much we waste.?

Companies like Klimato work with chefs to reduce their climate impact from food and have helped food service operators large and small make simple swaps without jeopardising taste or quality.? Small interventions in the UAE kitchens of Accor hotels have resulted in tangible reductions – easy wins and a measurable way to demonstrate reducing emissions.

When we can connect to what’s on the end of our fork, we can ask questions that promote transparency around how food is grown and understand the environmental impact.? The real cost of food then has a far greater chance of truly being appreciated.?

How are you measuring your impact?

4. Regenerative.

It’s not enough to do less harm.?

With most of the negative impact occurring at the land and farm level, regeneration is a way to reverse the degradation caused by industrial farming. Regeneration places high value on biodiversity, working holistically with natural cycles and soil health.

Elena and her team at Greenheart Organic Farms have worked with this approach for over 10 years and her in-depth agricultural knowledge has enabled improved yields with each season.? Likewise, Emirates BioFarm also works hard to preserve biodiversity through sustainable farming practices, growing over 60 varieties of local, organic produce.? Their education initiatives with the community helps residents understand how clean food is grown.

The purchasing choices food businesses make heavily influence the system we have with a heavy price paid by the environment; the consumer (poor health), the producer (poor return) and the food service operator (poor long-term feasibility).? By supporting sustainable farming practices, we foster better access to better food.? Critically, this type of conscious decision-making enables restaurants to positively influence the biggest component of their emissions (scope 3).

Lastly, consider that #regenerative is on trend for 2024.? Chefs who source ingredients from farms that actively work to replenish and restore nature can create meaningful stories around the entire dining experience.? The outcomes are lasting customer connections and increased brand reputation. This discussion on Nourish by Spinneys between Chef Rahul Rana from Avatara and Devina Divecha exemplifies how storytelling builds a stronger connection to community.

How can you incorporate a regenerative mindset into your business?

5. Collective action.

There are many viable approaches to tackle the complexity of sustainability, but I believe the key component involves working more closely together, readily collaborating and sharing knowledge.? Let’s abolish the fear of not eating our fair share of the pie.? Think creatively and grow the size of the pie.? Our capacity as one has hard limits, but collective action produces far more than the sum of each actor.??

Allow me to also put forward the notion of continuous learning.? Sustainability as an area of knowledge has no real experts or gurus – simply people trying to figure it out through trial and error.? There’s no roadmap or one size fits all.? And, if you’re just starting to think about sustainability, you’ve arrived at the right time.? We have access to more information than ever before.? Proven resources and frameworks are readily available, offering your business a customised strategy and action plan.?

Although high expectations can be a setup for criticism and disappointment, I’m holding on for more than simply hearing about change, but actually experiencing it. There’s no better time than today.