The UAE's first ever project that recycles food waste and turns it into animal feed, organic fertiliser and oil was inaugurated by a top official on Friday.
Mariam Al Mheiri, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, signed an agreement to support the pioneering project by Circa Biotech, a company that farms black soldier fly larvae by feeding them leftover food waste.
The larvae consume the waste and grow before being turned into high-protein feed for livestock, among other things.
The world is witnessing a rise in capital funding for insect-farming companies
Mariam Al Mheiri,
Minister of Climate Change and Environment
“This agreement is part of the UAE’s ongoing drive to enhance food security and sustainability based on innovation, green development and climate change mitigation,” said Ms Al Mheiri after a tour of the company’s headquarters in Masdar City in Abu Dhabi.
“The project leverages nature-based solutions to address challenges resulting from the accumulation of organic waste.
“This way, it creates sustainable economic opportunities that strengthen the resilience of our food supply chain while transforming waste from an environmental burden into an economic resource.”
Circa Biotech’s project will initially produce 1.5 tonnes of organic fertiliser per month — with the goal of handling 200 tonnes of food waste per day.
The company aims to decrease dependence on more expensive fishmeal for livestock feed.
“The world is witnessing a rise in capital funding for insect farming companies,” Ms Al Mheiri said.
“Circa Biotech’s project follows the principles of circular economy by using organic waste and the nutrients it contains as inputs into the feed production process, thus enhancing food security.”
The animal feed is rich in proteins, fats, minerals and vitamins. The larvae can be harvested every 14 days, due to the short 45-day life cycle and high fertility of the black soldier fly.
In addition, this insect does not transmit diseases, nor cause damage or infestations, and is a non-invasive species.
The larvae are reared in an environment with sensors that record real-time temperature, humidity and carbon dioxide levels under special lighting.
All of this together ensures efficient water consumption and has a limited effect on the environment.
“At Circa Biotech, we developed an innovative process to upcycle food waste into protein-rich animal feed using industrial insect farming,” said Haythem Riahi, co-founder and chief executive of Circa Biotech.
“It’s a commercially viable solution to locally produce animal feed with a highly sustainable process. At a full industrial scale, we plan to produce 22,000 tonnes of animal feed per year.”
Circa Biotech has participated in several entrepreneurship competitions across the UAE and its primary goal is improving the management of organic waste in megacities with a focus on saving it from the landfill.
HAEMOGLOBIN DISORDERS EXPLAINED
Thalassaemia is part of a family of genetic conditions affecting the blood known as haemoglobin disorders.
Haemoglobin is a substance in the red blood cells that carries oxygen and a lack of it triggers anemia, leaving patients very weak, short of breath and pale.
The most severe type of the condition is typically inherited when both parents are carriers. Those patients often require regular blood transfusions - about 450 of the UAE's 2,000 thalassaemia patients - though frequent transfusions can lead to too much iron in the body and heart and liver problems.
The condition mainly affects people of Mediterranean, South Asian, South-East Asian and Middle Eastern origin. Saudi Arabia recorded 45,892 cases of carriers between 2004 and 2014.
A World Health Organisation study estimated that globally there are at least 950,000 'new carrier couples' every year and annually there are 1.33 million at-risk pregnancies.
The Bio
Favourite place in UAE: Al Rams pearling village
What one book should everyone read: Any book written before electricity was invented. When a writer willingly worked under candlelight, you know he/she had a real passion for their craft
Your favourite type of pearl: All of them. No pearl looks the same and each carries its own unique characteristics, like humans
Best time to swim in the sea: When there is enough light to see beneath the surface
Last-16 Europa League fixtures
Wednesday (Kick-offs UAE)
FC Copenhagen (0) v Istanbul Basaksehir (1) 8.55pm
Shakhtar Donetsk (2) v Wolfsburg (1) 8.55pm
Inter Milan v Getafe (one leg only) 11pm
Manchester United (5) v LASK (0) 11pm
Thursday
Bayer Leverkusen (3) v Rangers (1) 8.55pm
Sevilla v Roma (one leg only) 8.55pm
FC Basel (3) v Eintracht Frankfurt (0) 11pm
Wolves (1) Olympiakos (1) 11pm
TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
Jawan
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