The UAE Food Bank and the DP World Foundation have launched the ‘Sustainable Goodness’ initiative in collaboration with Dubai Municipality, Dubai Customs, and DP World to reduce food waste by recovering abandoned food shipments at Jebel Ali Port and redistributing them to beneficiaries under approved health and safety standards.
The initiative was formalized through a cooperation agreement signed in the presence of senior officials from participating entities, including representatives from Dubai Municipality, Dubai Customs, DP World, and the DP World Foundation.
Framework to recover and redistribute abandoned food shipments
Under the Sustainable Goodness initiative, participating entities will identify abandoned food shipments at Jebel Ali Port where owners have opted not to complete customs clearance procedures.
A coordinated system will then assess the suitability of food items for consumption, facilitate regulatory release, and transfer eligible products to the UAE Food Bank for redistribution through its humanitarian network.
The framework also streamlines release procedures and reduces costs and processing times for companies that voluntarily relinquish ownership of eligible shipments and donate them for humanitarian use.
Awareness campaigns and global showcasing planned
Under the agreement, the partners will also launch awareness initiatives promoting responsible consumption and food waste reduction. They will further explore opportunities to present the initiative’s outcomes on local and international sustainability platforms to highlight its contribution to food security and sustainable development.
Latifa Al Qamzi Director General DP World Foundation
“The Sustainable Goodness initiative demonstrates the power of coordinated action in advancing sustainability and strengthening humanitarian impact. By bringing together key partners across the food, logistics, customs, and regulatory ecosystem, we are creating a practical mechanism that reduces food waste, preserves valuable resources, and redirects food supplies to communities that can benefit from them most. The initiative transforms a logistical challenge into a sustainable opportunity that supports food security and responsible resource management. Through our collaboration with the UAE Food Bank and our partners, we are helping create a more efficient and impactful model for managing surplus food and supporting charitable efforts across the UAE.”
Dr. Naseem Mohammed Rafee, Acting CEO of the Environment, Health and Safety Agency at Dubai Municipality, said that the Sustainable Goodness initiative helps preserve food resources while ensuring safe redistribution under strict health and safety standards. He added that Dubai Municipality will provide technical and regulatory support so all food shipments meet approved requirements before transfer to the UAE Food Bank, along with guidance to strengthen compliance and enhance the sustainability, resilience, and integrity of the food system.
Shehab Mohammed Al Jasmi, Chief Commercial Officer, Ports and Terminals at DP World GCC, said that the Sustainable Goodness initiative strengthens the role of logistics in advancing sustainability and social responsibility.
Image credits: UAE Food Bank | Cropped by GBN
“The Sustainable Goodness initiative represents a practical step towards strengthening the role of the logistics sector in supporting sustainability and social responsibility. By leveraging our operational capabilities and integrated network, we can redirect abandoned food shipments towards humanitarian purposes with tangible social impact. This partnership demonstrates how collaboration between government entities and the private sector can reduce food waste, improve supply chain efficiency, and support the UAE’s food security and sustainable development objectives,” Al Jasmi added.
Dubai Customs underscores support for food security
Mansour Al Malik, Executive Director of the Policy and Legislation Division at Dubai Customs, commented that the initiative supports the UAE’s charitable ecosystem and food security goals.
He noted that, “The launch of the Sustainable Goodness initiative reflects Dubai Customs’ commitment to supporting the UAE’s charitable ecosystem and strengthening food security through practical and sustainable solutions. We remain committed to facilitating customs procedures for eligible food shipments and providing the necessary administrative support to ensure food supplies reach beneficiaries safely, efficiently, and without delay.”
Image credits: UAE Food Bank | Cropped by GBN
Sustainable Goodness represents institutional collaboration model
Manal Bin Yarouf, Head of the Executive Team at the UAE Food Bank, said that the Sustainable Goodness initiative provides an innovative model to prevent food waste and redirect surplus food to humanitarian use. “The Sustainable Goodness initiative represents an innovative model of institutional collaboration that addresses one of the key challenges associated with food supply chains by preventing eligible abandoned food shipments from becoming waste and redirecting them towards humanitarian purposes.”
She added that, “Through this initiative, participating entities will work together to assess, manage, and transfer suitable food shipments to the UAE Food Bank for redistribution to beneficiaries across the UAE. This contributes to strengthening food security, improving surplus food management, reducing waste, and supporting the UAE’s broader sustainability objectives.”
