Young Change Makers See a Sustainable Future in Pakistan
Reducing waste helps date farmers, consumers and the environment
Pakistan grows one-fifth of the world's dates but every year, tons of those dates go to waste. Raees Ur Rehman, 24, a student at the University of Agriculture in Faisalabad, is determined to change that.
"Forty percent of dates are wasted annually and ultimately all this waste affects the environment, climate and economy in various ways," says Rehman, who co-founded Royella Foods with classmate Muhammad Huzaifa Ilyas, 22, to bring date palm by-products to market.
The sustainable start-up uses every part of the date to create products including date paste, date syrup and even decaffeinated date coffee made from the seeds.
Supporting eco-friendly youth initiatives to spark a global grassroots movement
As a food technology student at the University of Agriculture in Faisalabad, Pakistan, Rehman enrolled in his university's incubation program. He saw an opening and opportunity to reimagine Pakistan's date industry, and Royella Foods was born.
In July 2024, Rehman and his team won the GreEnovate Challenge supported by Generation Unlimited, the Prime Minister's Youth Program and UNICEF. Every stage of their start-up, from innovative uses of dates that would otherwise go to waste to conserving water during the production process, is designed with sustainability in mind.
My message to young entrepreneurs is that whatever role we are playing, let's promote climate-friendly efforts in our schools, colleges and universities. — student Raees Ur Rehman, 24
"My message to young entrepreneurs is that whatever role we are playing, let's promote climate-friendly efforts in our schools, colleges and universities," Rehman says. "Let's play our role in reducing plastic waste. Whenever you get the opportunity, don't waste it."
The GreEnovate Challenge is part of the Green Rising initative launched by Generation Unlimited and UNICEF in 2023 to mobilize 10 million young people to take concrete climate actions in their communities and countries by 2025, from community volunteerism to advocacy to skills development, jobs and entrepreneurship.
Learn more about how UNICEF is responding to the climate emergency.
