Have you ever attended a wedding where the lavish catering has resulted in huge amounts of food left uneaten? Or perhaps you’ve indulged in one of those all-you-can eat buffets and have seen how much of what is on offer remains in the serving dishes even when everyone has finished. We’ve all wondered what happens to all that uneaten food. Wouldn’t it be great if the excess food would find its way to places where it’s really needed? The Dubai Food bank envisaged exactly this noble goal.
The idea behind the UAE Food Bank is to eliminate wastage while redistributing food to those in need. The nonprofit organisation works in conjunction with other charities and the local authorities. On his accession day in January 2017, HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched this charitable effort for the nation.
The food back works by facilitating the collection of fresh as well as canned foods from supermarkets, restaurants and sellers/manufacturers of food. This is transported and stored in refrigerated facilities before being distributed by charities and other humanitarian organisations to various needy people or institutions.
In January 2017, the first food bank opened up. This facility is equipped with two refrigerated containers that can store food donated by various businesses or companies. The plan envisaged 30 such locations opening up across the UAE as well as about one hundred fridge facilities at other locations such as residential enclaves, places of worship and other locations frequented by the general public.
On the occasion of World Food Day, the second outlet of the UAE food bank opened up. The pilot project had facilitated the donation of 136 tons of food in the months following the establishment of the first branch. The location of the second branch is close to the Canadian University of Dubai campus in Al Bada area. In the video we see workers and others being served meals from distribution setups such as mobile food vans.
The Dubai Municipality had facilitated the free collection of food during the holy month of Ramadan in partnership with a logistics delivery company. This was to enable individuals as well as businesses looking to donate food. The food collected would be transported to the closest food bank fridges and then redistributed as required.
In spite of the food banks now being a reality, there is still a lot of food that is wasted by eateries, supermarkets and other business establishments. The Dubai municipality has urged people and businesses to ensure that food is donated and not allowed to be wasted; so that the 232 tons of food that was collected and distributed may increase. While logistical issues such as packing and transportation are responsible, there is also the fact that the hospitality and food production sectors need to be more proactive. Plus shoppers need to shop smart and waste less. Clearly there is a lesson in this for all of us!
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