The prices of organic produce in the UAE are three to four times more than conventional produce whereas in Europe the prices are just double only, said Gian L. Nicolay, deputy manager of a project set-up by Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority (ADFCA) to promote organic farming in the emirate.
According to Nicolay, an agronomist with the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL, imported organic produce, due to low local production, is costly which leads to a low demand for them. This in turn discourages local farmers from switching to organic farming.
The UAE has 331 hectares of organic farm land which is a mere 0.05 per cent of total farm lands, according to the 2010 edition of ‘The World of Organic Agriculture', published by FiBL and the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM).
Source: High prices, low awareness stall organic farming plans. GulfNews.com of April 13, 2010
More information
- GulfNews.com: High prices, low awareness stall organic farming plans. GulfNews.com of April 13, 2010
- ADFCA.ae: Homepage of the Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority
- FiBL.org: Homepage of the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL
- Organic-World.net: Statistics 2008
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