Dubai: More local organic food to hit malls

Residents will soon be able to buy more locally-farmed organic products in UAE malls and Dubai’s Global Village fair, a source said, adding that the products will be promoted in shopping centres such as the Dubai Mall.

A dedicated organic food section will also reopen in Dubai’s Al Hamriyah market in January 2014, and will stay open until summer, the source added.

There are over 60 organic plant varieties farmed in the UAE, he estimated. Locally-sourced organic cow meat and milk, and yogurt are also available here.

n 2012, the Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Metrology (Esma) started certifying organic foodstuffs in the UAE.

There are now around 38 certified organic farms in the UAE — up from only eight certified farms in 2012, industry sources said.

The development follows a campaign by the UAE Ministry of Environment and Water to promote local organic food.

The campaign was discussed on Wednesday during a Dubai press conference on the upcoming Middle East Natural and Organic Products Expo (Menop).

The expo is scheduled for December 3-5 at the Dubai World Trade Centre.

At the press conference, Ministry officials and Menop organisers said that the campaign aimed to promote a rising number of UAE organic farmers.

Nadim Al Fuqaha, managing director of Menop organiser Global Links, said: “The results of the focused efforts of government bodies in the organic food space has seen the number of farms going up five times in a year in the UAE.”

The Ministry offers organic fertilisers, organic seeds and nature-friendly pesticides to these farmers at half the price of the market value.

Source: Gulfnews.com