food
Working Together for Sustainable Solutions
We encourage delegates to embrace sustainable food practices during their time in Abu Dhabi and beyond.
Our partner ne’ma engages all stakeholders across the food value chain to take coordinated and structured actions aimed at reducing food loss.
ne’ma aims to inspire you to view food differently, encouraging you to rethink and reimagine your habits to cherish food as a blessing for generations to come.
This collaborative effort involves partnerships with the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, the Emirates Foundation, and numerous other stakeholders across the nation to build a network of trusted food loss and waste advocates in the UAE.
Our partnership with ne'ma enables us to address the issue of food waste by implementing tangible solutions throughout the event. ne’ma, inspired by His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s vision, aims to halve food loss and waste by 2030, advancing social responsibility and food security.
Throughout the Congress, we will actively track surplus food donations and food waste as a key performance indicator, ensuring measurable impact in line with our goals. This collaboration showcases our shared commitment to reducing food loss and waste, creating a legacy of sustainability that extends beyond the event itself.
Our partnership with ne'ma enables us to address the issue of food waste by implementing tangible solutions throughout the event. ne’ma, inspired by His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s vision, aims to halve food loss and waste by 2030, advancing social responsibility and food security.
Throughout the Congress, we will actively track surplus food donations and food waste as a key performance indicator, ensuring measurable impact in line with our goals. This collaboration showcases our shared commitment to reducing food loss and waste, creating a legacy of sustainability that extends beyond the event itself.
The PLEDGE on Food Waste
ICCA has also set a pivotal goal: to obtain the Zero Food Waste to Landfill Event certification, verified by The PLEDGE on Food Waste, in line with the UN SDGs 2, 12, 13 and 17 at ADNEC.
Before the event, ICCA’s partner LightBlue, in collaboration with event organisers, hosts and chefs, will ensure the necessary steps are taken to minimize food waste. This includes:
- Assessment of food distribution
- Optimisation of waste flow
- Training of kitchen, service, and stewarding staff on expected procedures
- Identifying and vetting partner organisations to support the collection and redistribution of food surplus
- Diversion of organic waste from the landfill
During the event, strict segregation of waste is reinforced. All safe-to-consume surplus food is carefully stored, and organic waste is collected, measured, and transformed into another resource.
Guests are also engaged to participate in achieving a no-waste objective by minimising their own personal plate waste. These efforts are strictly documented on a compliance platform. The quality of evidence is evaluated by The PLEDGE assessment team, and the initiative’s positive impact measured and reported.
Join Us in Reducing Food Waste
Food is an integral part of making the ICCA Congress 2024 more sustainable, aligning with our commitment to reduce the environmental impact of our event. As part of our sustainability strategy, we are proud to partner prioritise healthier, climate-friendly food choices with minimal food waste.
Please help us by minimising food waste. Take only as much as you can eat. You’re always welcome to come back for seconds!
Bangkok Protocol on Sustainable Gastronomy
The Bangkok Protocol on Sustainable Gastronomy is a legacy initiative from the 62nd ICCA Congress in Bangkok in 2023. The Protocol is a strategic framework designed to guide the global meetings and events industry with regard to food waste and sustainable gastronomy practices. Along with our primary partner, the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau, ICCA will work with multiple sectors and business events stakeholders to call for actions on sustainable gastronomy in food and beverage planning for large-scale events.
The Protocol provides practical and adaptable guidelines, tools, and case studies for business events organisers to introduce to their clients and prospects. Each sector within the meetings and events community can interpret, apply, and implement tools and best practices into their processes, frameworks, and practices.
ICCA aims to obtain the Zero Food Waste to Landfill Event certification, verified by The PLEDGE on Food Waste, in line with the UN SDGs 2, 12, 13 and 17 at ADNEC.
By working with LightBlue to help achieve this goal, ICCA will establish KPIs to guide food-waste management and progress on a path toward zero food waste, with progressive improvements over the course of the next several years.
The Bangkok Protocol on Sustainable Gastronomy is part of a larger set of sustainability initiatives geared toward creating a legacy of measurable impact in the business events community.