Going local in UAE: Organic farmland grows by 53% in Arabian desert

By RJ Whitehead

- Last updated on GMT

The United Arab Emirates has recorded a significant increase in the amount of land that has gone over to organic farming and the types of organic products that are available this year. ©Getty Images
The United Arab Emirates has recorded a significant increase in the amount of land that has gone over to organic farming and the types of organic products that are available this year. ©Getty Images

Related tags Uae Organic

The United Arab Emirates has recorded a significant increase in the amount of land that has gone over to organic farming and the types of organic products that are available this year.

According to data released by the Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Metrology (ESMA), the number of products grew by 89% in the six months up to April, while a further 1.8m square meters of organic farmland was seen during the same period—equivalent to a 53% growth in area.

Over 1,110 new organic products were sold in the UAE, including vegetables, fruits and dates, meat, poultry and eggs, Abdullah Al Maeeni, ESMA’s director-general announced.

He said organic farming was necessary because it allows the country to diversify its agricultural production. ESMA has become central to this process as it issues conformity certificates to organic farms. Once they receive these, they can begin sending their produce for export outside the UAE, and by doing so they open up new markets to UAE producers.

Organic produce, which is grown naturally without the use of chemical pesticides, has been growing in popularity among consumers both locally and across the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council. All the seeds used in organic farming must be sourced naturally and they must be free of genetically modified organisms.

It is a matter of debate whether hydroponics, which is a popular form of agricultural production in the UAE and other desert countries with little rainfall and a shortage of fertile soil, should be considered organic. In the UAE, farmers contend that organic certification should be limited to produce grown in soil.

ESMA grants an "organic mark” through a so-called certificate of conformity to farms. This states that produce grown there complies with organic standards laid down by the Emirates Conformity Assessment System (ECAS).

Food security has been identified as a priority by the UAE’s government. Last year, UAE minister of state for food security Mariam Al Mehairi said this was “one of the biggest challenges we will face in the future​”.

To address the issue, the UAE, which imports some 90% of its food, hopes to boost local food production by 40%.

In March, Abu Dhabi pledged AED5.6bn (US$1.52bn) to support research and development revolving around water scarcity and food security.

Related news

Show more

Related products

show more

Elevate your snacks with novel cheese flavours

Elevate your snacks with novel cheese flavours

Content provided by Givaudan | 23-Feb-2024 | Product Brochure

Aside from conducting desk research to understand snacking preferences and taste profiles among consumers in the Asia Pacific, Givaudan also embarked on...

How Korean culture penetrated the APAC food industry?

How Korean culture penetrated the APAC food industry?

Content provided by BIOSPRINGER, natural Yeast ingredients | 17-Jan-2024 | White Paper

Korean food is on-trend in Asia. We mainly find Korean taste in noodles, sauces & dressings, pickled condiments, ready meals and savory snacks.

Empowering Women Through the Life Cycle

Empowering Women Through the Life Cycle

Content provided by Glanbia Nutritionals | 07-Nov-2023 | Product Brochure

As discussions around female empowerment widen, and advances in women’s health access and provision accelerate, the implications for business, healthcare,...

Analyzing the unknown threat from Microplastics

Analyzing the unknown threat from Microplastics

Content provided by Agilent Technologies | 06-Nov-2023 | Infographic

Microplastics are any plastic-derived synthetic solid particle or polymeric matrix, ranging in size from 1 µm to 5 mm and insoluble in water.

Related suppliers

Follow us

Products

View more

Webinars

Food & Beverage Trailblazers

F&B Trailblazers Podcast