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Sustainable agriculture and organic farming have gained a lot of interest from countries all over the world. These methods focus on the use of natural processes and resources along with eco-friendly and innovative farming techniques to create crops with high yields.
Organic farming is especially growing in the Middle East which is a region known for its arid climate and limited natural resources like water.
“The goal of organic farming is to eliminate the use of synthetic chemicals and pesticides while growing crops, which promotes environmental responsibility, biodiversity, and sustainable production of food and other agricultural products.”, says the founder of Geohoney and the CEO of B A Barry Group, Mr Basem Barry.
The future of organic farming looks really bright in this region and this is what this blog is all about. So, keep on reading till the end to discover how this innovative approach is revolutionizing the agriculture sector in the Middle East.
Introduction of National Strategies for Food Security and Sustainable Agriculture
Incentives and Subsidies for Farmers
Investment in Research and Development
Focus on Regenerative Agriculture
Vertical Farming and Hydroponics
Drip Irrigation and Precision Agriculture
Organic Farming in the Middle East: Challenges and Opportunities
Many Middle Eastern nations have made organic farming and agriculture a key part of their national strategies and future vision. They have allocated significant budgets and resources to projects that focus on water conservation, soil health improvement, and climate change mitigation.
For example, the UAE’s National Food Security Strategy 2051 focuses on local and organic farming and food production. Similarly, Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 has established specific targets to increase organic farming acreage and to transition from conventional to organic agriculture.
Other countries like Qatar, Jordan, and Lebanon have also developed robust long-term strategies to promote organic farming for small-scale farmers and related entities.
Farmers who show extra interest in adopting organic farming tools and methods are offered special incentives and subsidies by their governments. These subsidies are in the form of tax breaks, grants for infrastructure, and funding for obtaining organic certifications.
Some governments even offer up to 50% subsidies to farmers who adopt smart and sustainable farming systems like drip irrigation systems to help small-scale farmers enter the organic market.
Many governments in the Middle East are currently sponsoring R&D projects to promote sustainable agriculture in the region. These projects are expected to develop new and more effective technologies that can improve crop yields without compromising the soil quality.
Institutes like the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in KSA are being funded by the government and independent entities to produce drought-tolerant crops and develop new irrigation systems. This eliminates the financial restraints, allowing researchers to work freely to develop better organic farming practices.
Regenerative agriculture is an innovative farming method that aims to restore the ecosystem while ensuring a steady food and crop yield at the same time. This approach involves the use of methods that facilitate soil carbon sequestration, reducing carbon footprint, and enhancing biodiversity.
Regenerative agriculture also focuses on enhancing water infiltration and water retention, which conserves this essential natural resource.
Vertical farming is another effective organic farming approach that is gaining popularity in the Middle East. In this case, the crops are grown in vertical layers stacked on top of each other. This type of farming is done in indoor controlled environments using soilless farming methods like hydroponics or aeroponics.
Hydroponics is a widely used organic farming method where crops are grown in nutrient-rich water-based solutions instead of soil. These farming methods have increased crop yields by up to 30% and reduced land use by about 10 times.
Drip irrigation, also known as trickle or micro-irrigation, is another efficient method that allows you to deliver water directly to the plant roots using a network of pipes and emitters. This approach minimizes water usage by reducing the risks of evaporation or runoff. This makes drip irrigation quite effective in the Middle East, where water is quite scarce.
Drip irrigation combined with smart and precision agriculture, which involves the use of drones and satellite imaging to better manage crops, is expected to further revolutionize organic farming in this region.
Challenges
The combined efforts of government, consumers, and entrepreneurs have ushered in a new era of sustainable farming in the Middle East. The organic farming sector is expected to expand even more in this region in the near future.
However, there are a few challenges that countries in this region must overcome to truly capitalize on the potential of this farming approach.
The biggest challenge is the high cost and difficult market entry, especially for small-scale farmers. Organic farming involves specialized training, more labor, and huge upfront investment in infrastructure and certifications, which pose major challenges in its implementation.
Another major challenge is building a knowledgeable and skilled workforce that is fully trained in organic farming methods. This cannot be done without creating dedicated training centres and promoting partnerships with international experts.
Lastly, distribution and supply chain challenges are also sensitive issues when it comes to organic products. Countries must invest in specialized handling, temperature-controlled transport, and building shorter and faster supply chains to ensure organic products reach consumers without spoilage.
Opportunities
Following are a few major opportunities that countries and the Middle East can avail.
They can pinpoint areas in Europe and Asia where Middle Eastern organic products are in high demand and consider exporting organic products there.
Urban organic farming is another growing approach that countries in this region can use to reduce the need to import food.
The countries in the region can establish regional organic certification bodies to reduce the complexity and costs of obtaining certifications.
To meet the increasing demand for healthy and organic foods, countries in the Middle East can target expanding domestic markets in countries like the UAE, Qatar, and KSA.
Organic farming is the only solution for countries where environmental threats, climate change, and scarcity of natural resources affect crop yields and soil health. Many nations in the Middle East have already acknowledged the transformative power of sustainable organic farming, and they have made it a key part of their national food security and sustainability strategies.
The popularity of organic farming is expected to grow even further as more nations in the region realize the effectiveness of this ingenious and productive approach when it comes to enhancing food security and preserving land and water resources.
You can visit us at B A Barry Group to learn more about the latest global developments in organic farming that are shifting the way crops are produced. We also specialize in providing eco-friendly trading, operations, and logistics solutions for your businesses all over the world.
