Page 25 - AWA Vol. 42-No.4 issue
P. 25

Dairy FarmiNg

             uaE’s unsold Bread Could help reduce reliance

                                  on imported Livestock Feed


















         Repeated disruptions to global food
        supply chains, from geopolitical tensions
        and shipping delays to the COVID-19
        pandemic and extreme  weather events,
        are prompting renewed focus on domes-
        tic food resilience across the Gulf.
         The UAE imports nearly 90 percent of
        its food supply, while generating an es-
        timated 3.27 million tonnes of food waste   International grain markets have ex-  tute for some imported base grains used
        annually,  highlighting  both  the  vulner-  perienced significant volatility in recent   in livestock diets.
        ability of supply chains and the scale of   years as conflicts, transport bottlenecks,
        untapped resources within the country’s   and climate related disruptions affect   Chava Berrill, CEO of núaFEEDs, said:
        food system.                                                            “Recent years have shown how vulner-
                                            production and shipping routes. For live-  able global food supply chains can be.
         Australian  agri-tech  company  núa-  stock producers in import dependent   Turning surplus food into a valuable lo-
        FEEDs is advancing a circular agriculture   regions such as the Gulf, where 80% of   cal resource can help strengthen supply
        innovation in the UAE that would convert   animal feed is imported, these shocks   resilience  while supporting  the  UAE’s
        surplus bread from bakeries and retailers   can translate into higher feed costs and   long term food security vision.”
        into livestock feed sourced locally in the   supply uncertainty.         The model aligns with the UAE National
        Emirates. The model is designed to give   Using its proprietary, UAE-owned IP,   Food Security Strategy 2051 and the Cir-
        surplus grain-based products a second   AEROFLOW technology, núaFEEDs con-  cular Economy Policy 2021 to 2031, which
        life within the agricultural system while   verts grain-based products into a high-  encourage technologies that reduce food
        reducing reliance on imported feed used   value nutrition livestock feed ingredient   waste and strengthen domestic produc-
        by dairy and livestock producers.   with 99.7 percent purity and 15.9 percent   tion systems.
                                            crude protein, offering a potential substi-  Each tonne of bread diverted from land-
                                                                                fill can prevent more than 500 kilograms
                                                                                of  CO₂  equivalent  emissions  while  re-
                                                                                covering approximately 13 cubic meters
                                                                                of water embedded in grain production.
                                                                                 núaFEEDs is currently finalising its first
                                                                                UAE  processing  facility  and  building
                                                                                supply partnerships with bakeries, re-
                                                                                tailers, and livestock producers to create
                                                                                a circular feed system within the Emir-
                                                                                ates. The company is also engaging UAE
                                                                                based partners as it develops the project,
                                                                                reflecting growing interest in scalable
                                                                                technologies  that  contribute  to national
                                                                                food security and sustainability goals.
                                                                                 This business model represents one of
                                                                                several agri-tech and circular economy
                                                                                solutions that UAE leadership has en-
                                                                                couraged as part of broader efforts to
                                                                                strengthen long term food system resil-
                                                                                ience.              Circle 29 on enquiry card
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