Saudi Arabia’s KACST and Tanmiah collaborate on sustainable food production

RIYADH: King Abdul Aziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) and the Tanmiah Food Group signed a Memorandum of Understanding to collaborate on innovative and sustainable food production.

The partnership is in line with Saudi Arabia Vision 2030 goals that aim to enhance food security. The Kingdom is striving to be more innovative in food production, especially livestock production, due to its dependence on grain imports.

Tanmiah and KACST intend to formulate a positive approach towards sustainability by crossing the existing frontier of conventional technological applications in livestock and food production.

“This partnership will be a game-changer,” Tanmiah CEO Zulfiqar Hamadani told Arab News.

The food group wants to innovate new technologies that will mitigate the harmful impact of poultry production so that the net effect will be carbon negative for the whole supply chain.

“Our strategy demands that we become carbon negative. More than the rate of emission, it is about becoming carbon negative,” Hamadani said.

A single organization is unlikely to create and sustain a substantial net positive effect on the whole ecosystem, which is why Tanmiah was keen to collaborate with KACST. The MoU will help them influence the poultry sector for a greater impact on sustainable food production.

“This partnership will support Tanmiah in delivering its sustainability goals, create efficiency in energy, generate renewable energy from poultry waste, and develop innovations, which will help in the efficiency of food production,” a joint statement said after the signing ceremony.

KACST is a regional leader in research and development and has the capability to make livestock and food production more sustainable. It is focused on bridging the gap between research and industry in the fields of sustainability and circular economy.

“Unfortunately, all the expertise and material available in the Kingdom is from those territories where the climate and resources are very different,” Hamadani said. 

“So we need to start writing a playbook for agriculture and food production in Saudi Arabia, which is conducive for the local climate. It is just the beginning and we will define the path for the industry to go forward.”

He added that there are certain resources in the Kingdom that are scarce like water, so they want to focus on recycling to ensure a sustainable business model that is good for the industry, country and planet.

“KACST as a reference lab is very crucial in order to secure food,” said Dr. Ayman Abd Al Jabbar, a supervisor at KACST’s research institute of water and energy. 

“We will make all efforts in order to promote the new technology that can help in food security as well as saving the environment. This MoU will lay a foundation for many innovative ideas in the future.”