UAE | General

Interview: Al owais shuns chemical pesticides

Emirati farmer turned organic after learning of the harm they caused.

  • By Emmanuelle Landais, Staff Reporter
  • Published: 23:28 December 20, 2007
  • Gulf News

Emirati farmer turned organic after learning of the harm they caused.

Before land in the UAE was even being certified as organic-approved farmland, Abdul Rahman Al Owais, 54, decided to do away with chemical pesticides and turned his 'garden' of 50,000 square metres, into an organic vegetable plot.

In 2000 the Al Owais farm in Dhaid turned to growing dates, cucumbers, tomatoes, herbs and other vegetables organically after he learnt about the benefits of not using chemical pesticides or fertilisers.

"Because of the information I got from doctors and global views that chemicals are causing too many problems I changed," Al Owais told Gulf News. "It's a better way to serve people and serve myself first...people prefer organic food there is a good market for that. We don't have all types of vegetable but the production is growing because people are looking for more organic produce," he said

The farm was officially certified in 2005 and aside from two stores in Dubai and one in Sharjah that stock their shelves with the ministry approved vegetables; Al Owais has his own organic grocery in Sharjah.

"In 2000 there was no law to certify the fields. We started early so we were only certified in 2005...Growing in the sand is difficult here and we have to improve the soil. In the beginning there was no way to treat it but over the years it has gotten easier because there are organic treatments and the soil is actually becoming healthier."

UAE certification of organic produce means that it is not approved for international sale, however Al Owais is working on getting his garden approved to international standards. More organic farms in the UAE would be a plus, said Al Owais, who himself tries to eat organic as much as he can. "My children are not in the field of agriculture but they support me and know all about it and eat my produce," he said.

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