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 domestic food resilience across the Gulf.
The UAE imports nearly 90 percent of its food supply, while generating an estimated 3.27 million tonnes of food waste annually, highlighting both the vulnerability of supply chains and the scale of untapped resources within the country’s food system.
Australian agri-tech company núaFEEDs is advancing a circular agriculture innovation in the UAE that would convert surplus bread from bakeries and retailers into livestock feed sourced locally in the Emirates. The model is designed to give surplus grain-based products a second life within the agricultural system while reducing reliance on imported feed used by dairy and livestock producers
International grain markets have experienced significant volatility in recent years as conflicts, transport bottlenecks, and climate related disruptions affect production and shipping routes. For livestock producers in import dependent regions such as the Gulf, where 80% of animal feed is imported, these shocks can translate into higher feed costs and supply uncertainty.
Using its proprietary, UAE-owned IP, AEROFLOW technology, núaFEEDs converts grain-based products into a high-value nutrition livestock feed ingredient with 99.7 percent purity and 15.9 percent crude protein, offering a potential substitute for some imported base grains used in livestock diets.
Chava Berrill, CEO of núaFEEDs, said: “Recent years have shown how vulnerable global food supply chains can be. Turning surplus food into a valuable local resource can help strengthen supply resilience while supporting the UAE’s long term food security vision.”
The model aligns with the UAE National Food Security Strategy 2051 and the Circular Economy Policy 2021 to 2031, which encourage technologies that reduce food waste and strengthen domestic production systems.
Each tonne of bread diverted from landfill can prevent more than 500 kilograms of CO₂ equivalent emissions while recovering 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, retailers, and livestock producers to create a circular feed system within the Emirates. 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 encouraged as part of broader efforts to strengthen long term food system resilience.
About núaFEEDs
núaFEEDs is a food systems innovation company that transforms surplus bread into safe, nutritious livestock feed. Founded on a farm in regional Australia, the company was built on a straightforward conviction: that waste is a design flaw, not an inevitability.Now operating in the United Arab Emirates, núaFEEDs works with supermarkets, bakeries, and food producers to collect unsold bread and upcycle it into high-quality animal feed, diverting thousands of tonnes from landfill while reducing farms’ dependence on imported feed grains. The company’s UAE facility directly supports the country’s Food Security Strategy 2051 and Circular Economy Policy.
More than a feed producer, núaFEEDs is a catalyst for smarter agriculture and circular economy leadership, proving that local insight, science, and a commitment to regeneration can turn one of the world’s oldest problems into a scalable solution.
