60% of food waste comes from homes, UAE urges action

Abu Dhabi: The UAE has urged households to make small changes to the way they buy, prepare and store food, saying everyday decisions at home can play a significant role in tackling food waste.

The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment said more deliberate shopping, smarter meal preparation, sharing surplus food and proper storage could help families reduce waste while making better use of available resources.

The guidance comes as global studies point to the scale of the problem. About one billion meals are wasted worldwide every day, while households account for roughly 60 per cent of food waste, making consumer behaviour a central part of efforts to curb losses, Al Bayan newspaper reported.

In a digital post, the ministry outlined four steps households could adopt.

The first is shopping more carefully. Families were encouraged to plan purchases before visiting shops, assess what they actually need and avoid buying more food than they are likely to consume. Checking refrigerators and cupboards before shopping can also reduce unnecessary purchases and duplication.

The second is cooking more efficiently. Planning meals in advance and preparing portions appropriate to the number of people eating can limit excess food. Leftovers, the ministry said, can also be incorporated into new meals or recipes rather than being discarded.

A third approach involves sharing surplus food when it remains safe to eat, allowing others to benefit from it instead of sending it to waste. Food scraps that are no longer suitable for consumption can in some cases be composted, reducing organic waste while creating a more sustainable use for it.

The fourth measure centres on proper storage. Consumers were advised to understand the temperatures and conditions required for different foods, organise refrigerators and pantries effectively and keep track of expiry dates. Better storage can extend the usable life of food and reduce the likelihood that products spoil before they are eaten.

The push comes alongside a national effort to establish a more detailed picture of where food is being lost or wasted across the UAE.

The National Food Loss and Waste Initiative, Ne’ma, launched the country’s first national baseline study to measure food loss and waste across the Emirates. The 18-month study, which began last year, involves households, institutions and organisations from the public and private sectors.

It is designed to measure losses across the food value chain and identify the stages where the greatest waste occurs, providing data that can help shape future policies and interventions.

The study also supports the UAE’s efforts towards United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 12.3, which calls for halving per-capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels by 2030 and reducing food losses along production and supply chains.

Results from the national study are expected to be released this year and are intended to form the basis for national indicators and a strategic road map to measure progress and assess the impact of policies and initiatives.

But while national data and policy will shape the broader response, the ministry said some of the most immediate gains can still begin much closer to home, with what families put in their shopping baskets, cook for dinner and choose to keep rather than throw away.