Partnership with ReFarm transforms unavoidable food waste into organic soil solutions that return to farms and landscapes, closing the loop from food waste back to local food production
Carrefour, which Majid Al Futtaim owns the exclusive rights to operate in the UAE, has diverted over 200 tonnes of food waste from landfill year-to-date through a circular food waste initiative developed in partnership with ReFarm.
Through ReFarm’s proprietary circularity technologies, unavoidable food waste collected from selected Carrefour stores is transformed into valuable organic resources that support local food production, plant nurseries and regenerative landscaping. Instead of being sent to landfill, these resources are returned to productive use within the UAE’s food and landscape ecosystem.
First launched at Carrefour Tilal Al Ghaf in 2025, the initiative was expanded to Carrefour Arabian Ranches 1 and Arabian Ranches 2 and has since grown from a single pilot to five stores year-to-date. Carrefour plans to add further locations to its pipeline as it continues to scale the project and increase diverted volumes.
The initiative demonstrates a practical waste-to-value model in action. A portion of the recovered resources supports the tree nursery at Tilal Al Ghaf, a Majid Al Futtaim community, while another portion is used within ReFarm’s farming operations, including vertical growing systems and regenerative farming. Fresh produce, including herbs grown using these systems, is subsequently purchased by Carrefour and sold in its stores, helping close the loop from food waste back to food production.
Ziad Chalhoub, Chief Financial Officer at Majid Al Futtaim Holding, commented: “At Majid Al Futtaim, our ambition is to embed sustainability into the way we operate and grow, moving beyond individual initiatives towards solutions that can create impact at scale. Tackling food waste is an important part of that journey, particularly given the role retailers can play in shaping more circular and resilient food systems. Our partnership with ReFarm demonstrates how collaboration and innovation can turn waste into value and, importantly, create a model that can be scaled across our business. As we continue to grow, we want to use our reach and influence to accelerate practical solutions that benefit our customers, communities and the environment.”
Oliver Christof, CEO of ReFarm, commented: “Food waste should not end up in landfill. Since 2023, our state-of-the-art facilities in Dubai have been transforming these resources into bio-engineered soil solutions and other valuable biological inputs that support food production and the creation of regenerative landscapes. By combining advanced biology, AI and resource-recovery technologies, we convert local organic waste streams into productive agricultural inputs, while our closed-loop vertical growing systems enable food production that is 100% water-independent by continuously recovering and recycling the water required throughout the growing process.”
He added: “Our partnership with Majid Al Futtaim and Carrefour demonstrates what circularity can look like in practice today: proven, commercialised, efficient and already operating at scale. Local resources are recovered, regenerated and put back to work within the UAE’s food and landscape ecosystem, ultimately helping turn food waste back into food.”
By returning valuable resources to farms and landscapes, the partnership connects waste reduction with local food production, regenerative growing practices and the UAE’s wider food security agenda.
Carrefour UAE will continue scaling the initiative through the remainder of 2026, with additional stores scheduled to join in 2027 as the volume of diverted food waste continues to grow.
