What is Organic Farming? And More Info

2020 was a challenging year worldwide. All industries had to adapt to the "new normal" in ways they could never have predicted. It was difficult to overlook the impact of the pandemic, especially on global food systems. The COVID-19 outbreak revealed how vulnerable the UAE's food systems were. Farmers throughout the UAE were compelled to seek alternative growing methods that wouldn’t harm the environment and people’s health. That was when the UAE realised the importance of growing organic food. What is organic farming, and how has it become popular? Let’s see!

What Is Organic Farming?

Put simply, organic farming is an agricultural system that uses natural fertilizers (i.e. compost manure, green manure, and bone meal) and emphasises crop rotation and companion planting techniques.

Today, green farming is looked upon with greater regard and has increasingly gained momentum in the Emirates. Organic shops, restaurants, cafes, and the like are now popping up all over the Emirates, especially in Dubai, offering an exclusive dining service that promotes organic farming. 

Now that you know what organic farming is, let's dive into how it's relevant to the UAE.

Organic Vegetable Farming In UAE

Organic vegetable farming has never been more popular in the UAE than now. Because of interruptions in global supply networks during the epidemic, the nation had to reconsider its position.

Several organic farms in the Emirates now focus on organic vegetable farming, improving their contribution to the regional food supply chain. Organic farmers work hard to provide high-quality, delicious organic vegetables for the UAE.

Organic farming has expanded at a breakneck pace in the UAE. Many organic food stores, startups, and more organisations have either come to the country or are being built from local initiatives as the nation emphasises innovation in sustainability.

One especially popular spot is Organic Food & Café. Notably ahead of the curve, they have been operating in Dubai since 2005, popularising organic stores and cafés that provide fresh, organically grown biodynamic products, groceries, vitamins, meat, dairy products, bread, and home-cleaning supplies. Organic Food & Café picks organic products from the Emirates' most reliable organic food stores and farms.

UAE-Approved Technology For Quality Organic Food

Organic farming technology in the Emirates employs an intercropping or crop segregation strategy. They grow more than one crop in the same field simultaneously to keep different pests at bay. Each crop attracts a distinct set of pests, which helps keep them away from the primary crop. The majority of these farms employ natural pest control methods. For example, leaves of Neem (Azadirachta indica) are put in large water buckets and left in the sun for hours before spraying them on the organic farm's veggies.

Pesticide residues are found in 46% of the conventional non-organic foods we eat, and their concentrations are rising substantially. In 2003, the same figure was only 25%. The nation’s new focus on achieving high-quality organic food steam from best practices and innovative methods in organic vegetable farming.

Why Choose Local Organic Products?

The principal reasons for choosing locally sourced organic products are:

• Pesticides tend to get accrued in the environment. Constant use of pesticides makes the water and soil highly toxic. As a result, human bodies accumulate more and more harmful chemicals.

• Increase your nutrient intake: Organic fruits and vegetables contain more nutrients than conventionally grown ones.

• Organic farming promotes agricultural techniques in harmony with the environment and the entire ecosystem.

• Encourage community farming: Fresh vegetables are gathered from the farm every morning and transported to the local market. Consuming food grown by natural farming methods will encourage farmers to do more green farming in their fields.

Sustainable Living Through Organic Farming

Organic farming has not only improved the quality of local produce but has also significantly aided in recycling agricultural waste. Farmers can now use spoiled dates, palm fronds, and other agricultural trash for recycling, creating creates a sustainable habitat for the soil and creatures in it.

Farmers across the UAE are involved in organic farming. The Emirates and other inhabitants are increasingly desiring local organic goods. Because of the rising market, the government has decided to enhance its understanding of organic agriculture and its significance in safeguarding natural resources.

The Numerous Benefits of Organic Farming

• Reduces animal and human health threats by decreasing the residual level in the product.

• Supports environmental well-being by reducing pollutant levels.

• Ensures the long-term viability of agricultural production.

• Reduces the price of agricultural produce while enhancing the fertility and health of the soil.

• Guarantees that natural resources are used optimally for short-term gain while conserving them for future generations.

• Saves energy for livestock and machinery and minimises crop failure incidents.

• Enhances the physical features of the soil, such as granulation, tillage, aeration, and root penetration, as well as its water-holding capacity and erosion resistance.

Goodness From The Ground Up

There you have it! We’ve answered the question “what is organic farming,” and covered the basics of organic farming in the UAE and its benefits.

Spots like Organic Food and Café at Golden Mile Galleria, Palm Jumeirah, has been pioneering dining service that promotes exclusively organic food. Its goal is to provide everyone with a healthy and nutritious organic dining experience. While you enjoy shopping at the mall, you can relish fresh organic and biodynamic food from this unique, organic food store.