REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE VENTURE PROGRAMME LAUNCHED TO ENABLE CLIMATE-RESILIENT AGRICULTURE IN MENAT

Aims to support research, science and nature-based solutions addressing food & water security, biodiversity and livelihoods

Goumbook is proud to announce the launch of the first regional ‘Regenerative Agriculture Venture Programme’, in partnership with HSBC and SAB (Saudi Awwal Bank), and supported by the European Institute of Innovation & Technology (EIT) Food. Goumbook’s Regenerative Agriculture Venture Programme aims to empower and upskill researchers and students who are actively engaged in addressing the fundamental agricultural challenges facing the Middle East, North Africa and Turkey (MENAT) region.

The primary objective of the programme is to chart a sustainable path toward a greener future by supporting innovative solutions in process methods and technology, addressing a broad spectrum of challenges including hunger, nutrition, climate change mitigation, and adaptation, among other matters. In doing so, it will position regenerative agriculture as a beacon of hope in the battle against the regional agricultural obstacles, fostering a more resilient and prosperous MENAT region for generations to come.

The solutions proposed by the participants must yield net beneficial economic, environmental, and social impacts for farmers and local communities, tailored to the unique agricultural conditions of the MENAT region to drive sustainable, long-term change.

Recent research¹ reveals that the earth has only 60 years of nutritious topsoil left, equating to approximately 60 harvests, as a result of conventional agricultural practices. A thin layer of topsoil is responsible for 95% of all the food produced for human consumption².

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations also reports that globally, conventional agriculture accounts for 72% of all surface and groundwater withdrawals, mainly for irrigation, which is straining and depleting water supplies in many regions.

Regenerative agriculture, through its key principles and adoption of resilient crop varieties that require less water, fewer pesticides, and reduced chemical inputs, is an approach that translates as a vital component in addressing the region- specific agriculture and climate challenges of the MENAT region Regenerative Agriculture also holds the potential to sequester carbon dioxide, making it a climate change mitigation and adaptation solution. 

The Regenerative Agriculture Venture Programme has a multifaceted approach aimed at bolstering support to the knowledge economy by emphasizing research, science, and data-driven solutions. It also strongly focuses on capacity building for academia and researchers, fostering entrepreneurship and business skills to bridge the gap between the academic, research and business sectors. Furthermore, the programme aims to transform research solutions into long-term, accessible, scalable, and sustainable impact solutions; that are within reach of small and medium farm holders. Lastly, it strives to initiate a regenerative agriculture movement in the MENAT region, positioning regenerative agriculture as a critical response to climate change & resilience and to the unique agricultural challenges faced in this arid, saline, desert, and water-scarce region.

Students and researchers focusing on innovative and applicable solutions within the domain of regenerative agriculture for the MENAT region can submit their applications for the programme online by 18th December 2023 at www.RegenerativeAgricultureVenture.com.

Tatiana Antonelli Abella, Founder and Managing Director at Goumbook, said: “In a world grappling with pressing agricultural, climate change, and food and water security challenges, we recognise the urgency to innovate and maximise resource efficiency, especially in our region’s harsh farming conditions. Regenerative agriculture, with its holistic approach that enhances soil health, fosters biodiversity and reduces greenhouse gas emissions, offers tremendous potential.”

Abella added: “Our ambitious program embarks on a transformative journey to establish concrete and scalable impact solutions for regenerative agriculture, significantly fortifying the MENAT region’s sustainable development and environmental health. We are not just imagining a future of regenerative agriculture; we are strongly facilitating its emergence. Together with a new generation of thinkers and innovators, we are dedicated to empowering impactful change that preserves our precious environment for future generations and positioning MENAT as a climate-resilient agriculture hub.”

David Ramos, Head of Sustainability at HSBC Middle East, said: “This is an important programme which we hope will help support regenerative agriculture, enhance food and water security and aid in climate change mitigation.”

Mai Bin Dayel, Head of Corporate Communications & ESG at SAB, stated: “The Regenerative Agriculture Venture Programme represents a convergence of scientific inquiry and practical application, aimed at enhancing soil vitality, conserving water, and securing food resources in a climate-impacted world. It’s a visionary approach that seeks to not only mitigate environmental challenges but to regenerate the very foundation of our ecosystems. Our support signifies a deep investment in not just the present, but also in a thriving, sustainable legacy for our communities and the environment that sustains us all.”

The programme will culminate at the final, where participants will showcase their innovative solutions to a panel of esteemed judges, with the chance to win one of three $10,000 cash prizes, with further opportunities to support the solutions to scale for impact, further recognizing and supporting their groundbreaking ideas. The final 3 candidates will engage in collaborative efforts with farmers to refine their proof of concept, thereby guaranteeing their ideas’ practicality and high impact, firmly rooted in substantial knowledge and skills.

For more information about the MENAT Regenerative Agriculture Venture Programme, visit www.RegenerativeAgricultureVenture.com.

LinkedIn showcase page: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/regenerative-agriculture-venture-programme/ – Please follow for news and updates about the programme.

This episode is part of our special series, Climate Leaders – Rising up to COP28. We’re sharing inspiring stories of sustainability leaders and climate champions, driving impact from our region to the world.

This episode is brought to you in partnership with MasterCard. Join the #PricelessPlanetCoalition movement with Mastercard to help restore 100 million trees around the world by 2025.

We’re thrilled to announce a long-term partnership between Goumbook and the Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation on two profound initiatives: the “Takween” initiative aimed at fostering Emirati youth’s employability and future skills, and the “Greening Communities” program providing lifelong-learning opportunities to the Arabic-speaking community in the UAE.

Greening Communities: Cultivating sustainability-mindedness

In April 2023, the Ministry of Education unveiled the UAE’s “Green Education Partnership Roadmap” in preparation for COP28. Among its pillars, the “Greening Communities” program was introduced, and the Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation joined hands as a strategic partner. The core objective of this pillar is to create learning opportunities for climate awareness, both within formal and informal educational settings, to engage all members of the community.

Goumbook is honoured to be selected as an implementing partner for the “Greening Communities” program, which officially kicked off during the Climate Future Week, organized by the Museum of the Future in collaboration with the Fiker Institute. The inaugural event, a Climate Fresk workshop under the theme “Climate Understanding: Learn, Connect, Act,” set the stage for an exciting journey ahead.

Over the next four months, Goumbook is committed to conducting 24 workshops across the seven Emirates, reaching out to 1,382 participants from various walks of life, including school and university students, parents, employees, and the general public. These workshops will encompass a variety of engaging and educational activities drawn from Goumbook’s diverse campaigns, such as Climate Fresk workshops, Ghaf seed plantings, mangrove plantings, beach clean-ups, and sustainable meal packings.

Our primary goal is to raise awareness, inspire, and empower participants to become active agents of change in our collective fight for a liveable climate and a sustainable future for everyone. With the different activities we offer – from planting trees to collecting marine debris or saving edible food from going to waste – we aim to open participants’ eyes to the intricate connections between individual actions and the global climate crisis. We emphasize that every small daily decision has the power to create ripples of change that eventually, collectively, create the transformative impact we need. 

Takween: Empowering Future Leaders through Education

The “Takween” initiative, launching in 2023, is the Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation’s after-school learner enrichment program designed to empower Emirati middle and high school students. Over a three-year period (2023 – 2025), Takween offer a wide range of programs, courses, activities, and events for learners in partnership with Emirates School Establishment.

Goumbook, in its role as a partner in the “Takween” initiative, offers two tailor-made programs targeted at Emirati students aged 13 to 18, aligning with the “Skill Development” pillar (enhancing students’ sense of national identity and global citizenship by increasing their understanding of critical global challenges and potential solutions) and the “Success Advising” pillar (supporting students in their journey toward success) of the initiative:

• A “Sustainability Series” comprising a rotation of four workshops with hands-on activities, focusing on different Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Climate Fresk (SDG 13), Give a Ghaf (SDG 6, SDG 15), Be(e) Conscious (SDG 15), and Sustainable Meal Packing (SDG 2, SDG 3, SDG 12)
• A 4-week program titled “Learn, Do, Share” that develops students’ knowledge of the SDGs and empowers them to actively address key global challenges. The diverse weekly sessions anchored around various sustainability topics encourage youth to become active learners, participate in meaningful activities, and ultimately become ambassadors inspiring sustainable living practices in their schools and communities.

Both educational initiatives are rooted in the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals, addressing global challenges while bringing localized solutions to the forefront. Through their shared vision and commitment, Goumbook and the Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation are contributing to the development of informed and responsible citizens that use their conscience, skills, and motivation to address global challenges and create a more sustainable future.

In a world that’s increasingly aware of the environmental challenges we face, businesses are stepping up their efforts to promote sustainable practices. Atlantis Dubai, renowned for its iconic properties, Atlantis The Palm and Atlantis The Royal, has joined hands with Goumbook for three year-long collaborations that promise to make a significant impact on both the environment and local communities in the UAE.

1. Goumbook’s “Save the Butts” campaign wins Atlantis Atlas grant again

Recognizing that sustainability is all about consistency and commitment, Atlantis Hotels has once again awarded Goumbook a grant under its Atlantis Atlas Project 1 USD Initiative for their “Save the Butts” campaign which addresses the critical yet often overlooked environmental issue of cigarette butt litter using a circular economy approach. While the first grant cycle concentrated on building awareness and removing tens of thousands of cigarette butts from beaches and public areas, this cycle’s programmatic focus lies on expanding the network of permanent collection points for cigarette butts around the city, thus preventing litter from entering the environment in the first place. Instead of harming the environment and posing a threat to wildlife, the collected cigarette butts are transformed into a sustainable construction material made entirely from waste.

2. Permanent cigarette butt collection points at two Atlantis properties

Leading by example on the expansion of the network, two Atlantis properties have established permanent collection points for cigarette butts as part of the “Save the Butts” annual commitment plan. This strategic move doesn’t just make the hotels cleaner, but also encourages guests to take part in the initiative by providing a clear and easy way for guests to dispose of cigarette butts responsibly. By doing so, Atlantis Hotels and Goumbook are not only minimizing environmental damage but also creating a culture of sustainable behaviour. This is a perfect example of how businesses can be a force for good by integrating sustainability into their daily operations.

3. Atlantis Hotels joins UNISOAP UAE campaign

In their quest to champion the circular economy, two Atlantis properties are among the first hotels in the country to join the UNISOAP UAE campaign. This initiative is focused on collecting soap waste from hotel rooms and recycling it into new soaps. These recycled soaps will then be distributed to vulnerable populations throughout the UAE, reducing landfill waste and addressing hygiene inequalities within the local community.

Commenting on the initiatives’ rationale, Kelly Timmins, Director of Marine Animals Operations and Sustainability, Atlantis Dubai, said: “Enhancing circularity while channelling support to local communities in the UAE and beyond is our commitment at Atlantis Dubai of doing business in ways that are better for people and the planet. Driven by our housekeeping teams, we are proud to partner with Goumbook and UNISOAP UAE to transform soap that would otherwise be destined for the landfill into new soap bars for disadvantaged communities and one of the biggest polluters, cigarette butts, into valuable building materials.” The strong and ongoing partnership between Goumbook and Atlantis Hotels demonstrates how the hospitality industry can integrate sustainability into their operations and embrace the principles of the circular economy to shape an environmentally responsible and socially equitable future. All of these initiatives are run locally in the UAE, aligning with our shared commitment to support the local economy and create a more sustainable future.

Harmony by H.H. Maryam A. Al Nuaimi aka BlueSheikha 

Harmony blooms when we’re one world,
All together, we create peace.
As one community, we create a masterpiece,
H2O signifies our unity, a beautiful release.
Hydrogen, the essence of a human’s core,
Oxygen, the circle of life in the air.
You may feel lost along the way,
But follow the light, it’ll be your guide.
Water flows through everything we see,
Like freedom, it’s wild, pure, and free.
The vast, endless ocean, so deep and so wide
A source of life’s beauty, in its rolling tide.
Beneath the sky, where raindrops fall,
Children’s laughter is a joyful call.
With the puddles as their playground, they leap and they play
In nature’s gift, on a rainy day.
Our duty it is to protect this grand sea,
For the creatures within it, for you and for me.
To protect our Earth, keep it alive
Climate change is a challenge we must survive. 
Us as climate champions, we must strive.
For guiding us toward a sustainable heart.
In a world where the temperatures rises high,
We take action, to reach towards the sky.
Let’s strive to be greater human beings
Keep the oceans clean, give marine life a chance.
So children will have a world worth promises to keep.

This episode is part of our special series, Climate Leaders – Rising up to COP28. We’re sharing inspiring stories of sustainability leaders and climate champions, driving impact from our region to the world.

This episode is brought to you in partnership with MasterCard. Join the #PricelessPlanetCoalition movement with Mastercard to help restore 100 million trees around the world by 2025.

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This is part of our special series, Climate Leaders – Rising up to COP28. We’re sharing inspiring stories of sustainability leaders and climate champions, driving impact from our region to the world.

This episode is part of our special series, Climate Leaders – Rising up to COP28. We’re sharing inspiring stories of sustainability leaders and climate champions, driving impact from our region to the world.

This episode is brought to you in partnership with MasterCard. Join the #PricelessPlanetCoalition movement with Mastercard to help restore 100 million trees around the world by 2025.

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This episode is part of our special series, Climate Leaders – Rising up to COP28. We’re sharing inspiring stories of sustainability leaders and climate champions, driving impact from our region to the world.

This episode is brought to you in partnership with MasterCard. Join the #PricelessPlanetCoalition movement with Mastercard to help restore 100 million trees around the world by 2025.

This episode is part of our special series, Climate Leaders – Rising up to COP28. We’re sharing inspiring stories of sustainability leaders and climate champions, driving impact from our region to the world.

This episode is brought to you in partnership with MasterCard. Join the #PricelessPlanetCoalition movement with Mastercard to help restore 100 million trees around the world by 2025.