What 'Organic' Means on UAE Food: The Law, the Certificate and Who Checks

In the UAE, "organic" is a regulated claim under Federal Law No. 5 of 2009 on Organic Inputs and Products. The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment counted 74 operational organic farms in the country in 2023, of which four were in Dubai.

What the law covers

The 2009 law governs the production, manufacture, preparation, circulation, import and export of organic inputs and products, and it applies to organic production units and to certifiers. It gives the federal environment ministry (named in the law as the Ministry of Environment and Water) the job of setting standards, specifications and analysis methods, and of regulating the import, export, registration and labelling of organic products. The law provides for sanctions against violators. Detailed rules sit in its implementing regulation, Ministerial Resolution No. 84 of 2012.

What an organic farm has to do

According to Ministry of Climate Change and Environment material reported by Aletihad in February 2024, organic farming in the UAE:

• relies on natural materials instead of chemical fertilisers and pesticides;
• may not use genetically modified organisms, or preservatives in manufacturing, processing or packaging;
• maintains soil fertility by adding organic matter;
• manages pests and diseases through integrated farm management.

A farm must first go through a transition period from conventional to organic production. Its sites are then inspected and certified.

Who certifies

For locally grown produce, certification has been carried out by the Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Metrology (ESMA). Gulf News reported in May 2019 that ESMA issued an "organic" label on the certificate of conformity it gave organic farms, under the UAE's conformity assessment programme (ECAS) and Ministerial Resolution No. 84 of 2012. By April 2019, 2,356 organic farm products were registered with ESMA. In July 2020, ESMA was merged into the new Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology as part of a federal government restructure.

Imported organic food follows a separate route. Gulf News reported in 2018 that imports must be certified by a body on the federal ministry's approved list of foreign organic certifiers, and that imports without that approval are stopped at port.

What happens to false claims

Officials told Gulf News in 2018 that food made or sold in the UAE and claiming to be organic without federal certification would be seized, and that uncertified local produce would be destroyed. Enforcement on the shop floor falls to local authorities such as Dubai Municipality.

Where the organic farms are

Source: Ministry of Climate Change and Environment data, reported by Aletihad, 21 February 2024.

What to check on the pack

• Look for a certification mark, not just the word. Officials have advised shoppers to look for a certified organic logo or label; "natural" claims do not require certification.
• For UAE-grown produce, look for UAE certification details on the label or shelf.
• For imports, note the certification body named on the pack. If you do not recognise it, look it up.
• Organic is not a nutrition grade. It describes how food was produced, not its sugar, salt or fat content.

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For general information. Details can change; check with the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment or the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology before relying on them.