The initiative focuses on cutting down on food waste by planning meals in advance and freezing leftovers, shopping smartly to avoid overstocking, reusing and recycling to reduce waste, and buying pesticide-free organic foods and local food products that are fresh and have a much smaller carbon footprint than imported goods.

The campaign supports three of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – SDG 2: Zero Hunger, SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, and SDG 13: Climate Action.

To encourage engagement, the Ministry invites members of the community to take a photo or a video depicting a practice they have been following to make this Ramadan sustainable, share it on social media, tag MOCCAE, and use the hashtag #SustainableRamadan.

Nawal Al Ruwaihi, Acting Director of Government Communication at MOCCAE, said: “Sadly, in the UAE, Ramadan sees a 50 percent increase in wasted food compared to other months. The Sustainable Ramadan campaign aims to reverse the trend and promote sustainable consumption behaviors.”

She added: “Food waste is a real problem. Data from a landfill site survey showed that food waste accounts for 38 percent of total waste in the country. This is equal to almost two million tons a year. Tackling the issue will help the UAE not only meet its food security targets but also fulfil its international commitment to reducing food waste by 50 percent by 2030.”

In this context, MOCCAE introduced the UAE Food Waste Pledge in 2018 that challenged companies in the country’s hospitality sector to cut down on food waste in their operations, resulting in saving 1.6 million meals in 2018 and two million in 2019.