Food for thought: Navigating responsible F&B in hospitality

Not everyone may know that food production accounts for over a quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions, while irrigated agriculture uses about 60 percent of the water available for human use.

It is also estimated that while 90 percent of the world’s fisheries are harvested right up to or beyond their ecological limits, 35 percent of all seafood catches are either lost or wasted along the supply chain – meaning 1 in 3 fish caught never makes it to the plate. A disturbing figure when you consider the environmental impact behind it.

Therefore, it’s imperative that we adopt sustainable sourcing practices that balance efficient harvesting with the preservation of animal populations and crops.

We also cannot talk about ethical food production without considering the well-being of people involved in the production process. This encompasses fair wages and working conditions, as well as nurturing local communities to help produce economic growth. Areas that need to be carefully considered through responsible supply chain.

For us in the hospitality industry, food and beverage (F&B) is a huge part of what we do, so our responsibility to find ways to minimise the impact and help tackle climate change requires equal attention.

However, transitioning to more sustainable practices comes with its own set of challenges, including information transparency, budget constraints and alignment with consumer expectations. Education is key here so that everyone understands why things like serving local or in-season produce is beneficial for the environment.

Of course, in arid or remote destinations procuring from outside is inevitable but there are still options to reduce the impact, such as sourcing fruit and vegetables that are grown outdoors versus those grown in carbon intensive, heated greenhouses.

Remarkably, the UAE has made significant strides in enhancing food security – this progress is evident through initiatives like supporting local farmers and adopting advanced hydroponic farming techniques, as highlighted in the National Dialogue for Food Security, a recent campaign by the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment.

There are also now many innovations to help us source responsibly. In two of our restaurants – Rockfish at Jumeirah Al Naseem and Pierchic in Jumeirah Al Qasr, we’ve introduced tech platform ‘Seafood Souq Trace’ to source fully traceable seafood and give our guests full visibility of its journey to the plate.

Similarly, we’re using the Agritech platform ‘Fresh on Table’ across our portfolio to source more local produce, saving 42 million food miles annually and thereby reducing CO₂ emissions. We have also initiated our first on-site hydroponic farm at Jumeirah Zabeel Saray to supply lettuces and herbs to restaurants, using 70 percent less water for each yield, compared to traditional farming techniques.

But we can’t just focus on production. Equally important is what happens at the end of the chain with wasted food having tremendous environmental and economic impact. In the UAE alone, an estimated AED6 billion of food is wasted each year, ending up in landfills, according to the UAE’s Minister of Climate Change and Environment, Mariam Al Mheiri.

Many forget that we already have the blueprint for optimising waste – in nature – where everything operates within a closed-loop system. Each output becomes a new input, ensuring nothing is wasted. What’s important is that we take heed of lessons learned from our natural environment and harness innovations that mirror nature’s efficient circular processes.

Artificial intelligence can be a big help here for refining food procurement and waste. For example, in 2022, we piloted the Winnow software system in two of our restaurants at Jumeirah, to enable our kitchens to better plan their orders and reduce overproduction.

Last year, this initiative helped us cut food waste by 20,000kg, corresponding to a reduction of 85 tonnes in CO₂ emissions – equivalent to saving nearly 50,000 meals. In 2024, Jumeirah is set to expand the deployment of the Winnow system to 12 additional properties, a strategic step that will integrate this sustainable technology across 70 percent of our UAE portfolio.

Effective waste management is also crucial; without it, waste could convert into methane, a gas with a climate impact 25 times greater than CO₂. Composting and aerobic digestion systems can help with this. If surplus food is not usable in our staff canteens or cannot be redistributed to the community, we put it into an aerobic digester called the Orca which breaks it down into a liquid that goes back into the main sewage system. This is then processed into inputs for biogas and fertilisers. The Orca, together with our two composting systems at Madinat Jumeirah, are treating 81 tonnes of organic waste per year.

In addition, we are trialling social programmes in partnership with Ne’ma – the UAE’s national food loss and waste initiative. For example, at Jumeirah Emirates Towers, throughout Ramadan when food waste is at an annual high, we introduced behavioural nudges and discreet operational changes to help reduce over consumption.

This initiative led to a 15 percent reduction in food waste during that period. Building on this success, the project will roll out across all Jumeirah properties in the next few months. We also conducted a 13-week trial at our staff canteens across three of our Dubai properties, where we achieved a 44 percent reduction in food waste. These initiatives will help support Ne’ma’s recently launched action plan to reduce food loss and waste in the UAE by 50 percent by 2030.

There is no doubt that there is a huge opportunity for the hospitality industry to make a tangible difference, and while sustainable solutions may have a higher initial outlay, there will be longer-term cost savings associated with taking a bigger picture view. And ultimately, if we don’t change, the cost to the environment and our businesses will be far greater. From improved food security, promoting a safer food supply and scaling up small businesses to creating employment opportunities and nurturing a new generation of environmentally conscious consumers, the benefits are plentiful, and we need to act now.

What I do know though is that we can’t act alone, and the importance of industry peer and cross-sector collaboration cannot be overstated. As an industry, we need to work together and in partnership with environmental organisations and not-for-profits like the Global Tourism Plastics Initiative, WWF UAE Alliance for Climate Action and the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance to develop practical resources to help all hoteliers operate responsibly.

It’s also paramount that we educate our teams so that they too uphold these practices. By prioritising the training and growth of every colleague, we empower them to become advocates for sustainable F&B practices, fostering a collective effort that addresses this daily responsibility and drives positive change within the hospitality sector.

With COP28 happening in Dubai for the culmination of the UAE’s Year of Sustainability, now is our opportunity to take stock of how far we’ve come and set targets for a better future. Always remembering that even small changes to the way we operate can make a big difference for all.