dnata, a leading global air services provider, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Blue Aqua Food Tech (Blue Aqua) to boost food security in Singapore. The partnership will see Blue Aqua upcycle organic waste from dnata’s catering and ground handling operations into alternative insect protein for aquafeeds.
Blue Aqua’s innovative bioconversion solution processes underutilized nutrients from the leftovers that can be transformed into quality insect proteins for aquacultural use. The bioconversion is a virtuous circle that makes the insect protein a sustainable and efficient alternative to traditional fishmeal.
Compared to traditional protein, insect protein is a sustainable solution with low land, water, and carbon footprint, offering a very high yield. The partnership will supply Singapore’s farmers with sustainable access to domestically produced animal feed, which is traditionally imported.
The MoU is the starting point to a deeper partnership between Blue Aqua and dnata, which will look into the development and implementation of a ‘Zero Waste’ master plan. The air services provider will also add Blue Aqua to its list of suppliers to purchase locally farmed seafood for its catering operations.
Dirk Goovaerts, dnata’s Regional CEO for Asia Pacific, said: “We are delighted to partner with Blue Aqua to further decrease food waste and support the local food production supply chain. This initiative will help us minimise our environmental footprint whilst delivering the highest value for our customers and the communities around us.”
Dr Farshad Shishehchian, CEO & Founder of Blue Aqua International Group, said: “Blue Aqua has been a strong advocate for sustainable and practical farming since its inception, this partnership with dnata is a perfect fit. We are excited to grow our efforts in food technology to develop a circular economy in aquaculture globally through our network, starting with Singapore.”
The global population is expected to reach 9.9 billion by 2050, and food production has to increase by 70% to fulfil this demand. This is further implicated by food security concerns worldwide and the rapid degradation of valuable farmland. Waste management is a global issue that governments and companies are racing to solve. Singapore imports more than 90% of its food, yet, its food waste amounts to 744,000 tonnes annually. Today, less than 20% of Singapore’s food waste is recycled.
Blue Aqua’s Waste-to-Protein Program aspires to significantly reduce food waste across Singapore’s food supply chain through aquaculture. This is in line with Singapore’s vision of being a ‘Zero Waste Nation’, which means the recycling rate has to be increased to 70%. Singapore has also set a “30 by 30” goal, aiming to have the nation produce 30% of its food domestically by 2030. With this mandate, aquaculture will play an important role in the future of Singapore’s food security. However, local farms still rely heavily on imported feed and raw materials, which the program is aiming to mitigate.