Quietly organic in Abu Dhabi

Finding Um Sultan was like taking a step back into the UAE's olden days. Her home is nestled in the remote Bein Jessrein area of Abu Dhabi - a quiet neighbourhood where the air is crisp, away from the city's hustle and bustle.

She and her son Mohammad greeted me at the door, and I had barely sat down when I was offered a cup of coffee, fresh juice and sweets. This was Emarati tradition at its best, and the fact that Um Sultan (real name Amnah Sultan Al Kindy Al Murar) is the owner of an organic farm almost comes as no surprise.

Someone with such valued traditions can only know and use the benefits of nature. And if the nose-tingling smell of the vegetables Um Sultan graciously gave me is anything to go by, going organic certainly seems like an attractive choice. ?When I saw soil burning from the use of chemicals, and that soil had to be thrown away, I could no longer accept the use of chemicals,? she says.

"Anyone with feelings wouldn't accept it. So I asked people from past generations how they used to farm and found it was possible to farm without the use of chemicals and pesticides."

Her change of heart happened 10 years ago, but her plans really came to life some six years ago when she signed a contract with UAE's Private Department and began operating an organic farm. The contract came to an end last year, after which Um Sultan put together her own - albeit smaller - organic farm in Liwa.

"We grow all kinds of vegetables: tomatoes, lettuce, zucchini, cucumber, spinach, onion, carrots, eggplant, anything according to the seasons," she explains. "I supervise the farm myself and I employ workers to do the farming. We also have cows and sheep on the farm and our milk, meat, chicken and eggs are all organic."

Prior to the switch to all things organic, Um Sultan raised her farm animals on regular market foods and found their physiological structures to be weak. She then fed other animals with natural organic foods and saw drastic changes within three months. "Everything got better," she says. "Their kidneys and livers were bigger, their bone marrows were no longer dry. Anyone can try it, you?ll see how amazing the changes are."

Through her faith in organic foods, Um Sultan also believes that natural produce can cure human ailments. "A natural plant can heal a wound," she adds. "Cut off a leaf from any other plant, place it on a cut, and you will see how it will heal. Food truly is medicine."

Um Sultan is mother of nine children, all of whom have embraced organic foods. Everything they eat and drink within their home is organic, and no one seems to be complaining. "We all eat organic at home, but obviously it's harder for them to eat organic outside, as it is not available. I've definitely seen a big change in my family's health," she says. "The only thing they've ever complained about is the taste of pure natural water, as it is a little saltier than bottled water."

Organic foods are not widely available in UAE markets, but Um Sultan has noticed that some grocers are trying to sell more chemical-free products. Although farms like hers are growing in popularity, she believes more should be done. "We need more interest and support from the government. Our country is growing and is open to the world, so we could also export our products. We still do not export, but the UAE wants to do that. Unlike chemically grown produce, organic products stay fresh for so long, so that's very good for exporting."

Through her work, Um Sultan has planted organic products in Al Selmiya and Wathba areas, and in a farm belonging to Shaikh Sultan Bin Zayed.

Her contributions have been recognised by Shaikha Fatima on World Women?s Day in 2000 and more recently by the Abu Dhabi Businesswomen Council in 2005 with an award for Best Idea.