Hydroponic farming, which is catching on in the UAE among many urban farmers, cannot be qualified as organic even if the produce grown through this method are not aided by any chemical fertilisers or pesticides, the UAE regulatory authorities have said.
In a statement to Gulf News, the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) said that hydroponic farming cannot be certified as organic because the plant is not grown directly on the soil.
Implementing MOCCAE’s regulations among others, Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Metrology (ESMA) also confirmed that fruits and vegetables grown using hydroponic methods are not organic.