Right Farm, a disruptive UAE-based B2B digital platform that sources fresh produce from local and international farms for the food service and retail sectors, today announced its partnership with Circa Biotech, the region’s first waste-to-feed project, aimed at creating a circular economy by utilizing industrial insect farming to upcycle organic waste into protein-rich animal feed and organic fertilizer.

Through this collaboration, Right Farm will become one of Circa Biotech’s first major partners. The Key aim behind this partnership is to contribute to the UAE’s ongoing effort to enhance food security and create a more sustainable food system through innovation and technology, a goal in line with the UAE’s strategic initiative of net zero by 2050 and the National Food Security Strategy 2051.

This comes as part of Right Farm’s commitment to creating a circular economy and a restorative and regenerative food supply chain. In the UAE alone, almost two million tonnes of food waste are dumped in landfills which contribute more to greenhouse gas emissions than the vehicles in the country. Through this collaboration, Circa Biotech will use Right Farm’s organic waste, diverting it from landfills, to upcycle into high-quality products using industrial farming of the Black Soldier Fly larvae.

Protein meal, larvae oil, and organic fertilizer are created through Circa Biotech’s unique solution and will be used in agriculture, aquaculture, and livestock production. Other by-products extracted from the black soldier fly larvae include Lauric Acid which can be used in cosmetic and medicine production; as well as  Chitin which can be modified to be used in efficient water purification systems.

Elie Skaf, co-founder and CEO of Right Farm commented: “The partnership between Right Farm and Circa Biotech is a powerful combination, our business models are aligned when it comes to the creation of the circular economy.”

“Traditional food supply chains are broken and inefficient, with food waste happening at every stage of the value chain. Our partnership with Circa Biotech ensures we are working towards reducing our community’s carbon footprint and contributing to food waste solutions that are innovative and regenerative, protecting our region’s environment and resources. This is another step of many for Right Farm, paving the way to future-proofing our food systems,” added Elie.

Dr. Haythem Riahi, co-founder and CEO of Circa Biotech said: “The partnership between Circa Biotech and Right Farm is a clear affirmation of the two companies’ engagement in leading the change towards zero food waste disposed of in landfills and contributing to achieving the UAE’s sustainability goals”.

“Our solution leverages nature-based solutions to address challenges resulting from the accumulation of organic waste. The ability of the black soldier fly to convert organic waste into high-quality nutrients has opened up an immense opportunity to develop sustainable technology for the production of animal feed at a lower cost. This partnership is a step towards creating sustainable economic opportunities that strengthen the resilience of the food supply chain in the UAE while transforming waste from an environmental burden into an economic resource.”

This partnership aligns with the missions of the start-ups and comes as part of Right Farm’s sustainability agenda to reduce the amount of organic food waste in the UAE and to build the next generation food supply chain; efficient, sustainable, and regenerative.

For more information on Right Farm, please visit https://www.rightfarm.com/