(Crealis) -- The shift to an organic diet has gained significant momentum in the US and Europe in recent years and the UAE is picking up the pace as residents become more health conscious and opt for a less processed, natural diet.
A report conducted by Research and Markets, a trade-specific data analysis company, says the organic food market has been growing at a rate of 20 to 24 percent annually. The research suggests that the industry is expected to generate sales of US$ 32 billion by the end of this year.
The report shows that the global organic food market grew by 10.9 percent in 2007 to reach a value of US$ 43.5 billion and in 2012, the market is forecast to have a value of US$ 66.8 billion, an increase of 53.6 percent since 2007.
There is currently only a small portion of local farms growing organic produce, however this is set to change as the government - both the Ministry of Environment and Water and the Ministry of Health - promotes the organic movement.
Owing to the augmented demand for natural food products, the environmental ministry has set the target of 3,000 hectares of agricultural land dedicated to organic farming, while the health ministry advocates organic food as part of a healthy diet.
Industry experts say the most popular organic product within the UAE is baby food, while fruit, vegetables and breakfast cereals are also big sellers.
"More expatriates entering the country recognise the importance of organic produce and will seek it out," said Nils El Accad, CEO, Organic Foods & Cafe. "Participating at Gulfood is the one way to find out if a product or concept will work in the market - any business that wants to establish or promote its position in the industry needs to be part of this important exhibition," he added.
The Gulfood exhibition is being held Feb. 23 - 26. 
January 14, 2009
Support For Organic Foods Grows Across UAE
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1 comments:
And I believe this is a good trend. It's good that people are now more conscious about what they take in.
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