UAE Ministry of Environment and Water organizes seminar on ‘Organic Agriculture'

United Arab Emirates, August 18, 2015 – The UAE Ministry of Environment and Water recently organized a public awareness workshop on ‘Organic Agriculture’ in cooperation with Dubai-based Children’s City. The workshop targeted children aged between 7 and 12 years to raise awareness about different environmental areas, especially organic agriculture.

According to Eng. Aisha Mohamed Al Abdooli, Director of Education and Awareness Department, Ministry of Environment and Water, the Ministry is working within the framework of the National Environmental Education and Awareness Strategy 2015-2021 launched during the 18th National Environment Day. She stated that hosting the workshop in collaboration with the Children’s City complements the first goal of the Strategy to educate Emirati youth about a sustainable future. One of the main elements of the UAE’s environmental conservation policies is to raise awareness among new generations to help modify human behavior towards natural resources.

Eng. Aisha said that the workshop on ‘Organic Agriculture’ is considered a motivational step towards environmental conservation as it educates children on the importance of adopting the organic agriculture system and its contributions in protecting natural resources. She added that the simplified explanation of the mechanism of this system will help children to learn more about the styles and techniques that can be used to preserve the environment.

During the workshop, a simple and enjoyable explanation was provided about organic agriculture, showing that this kind of production does not use chemical materials such as fertilizers, manures, pesticides, growth regulators, hormones, preservatives, and animal feed. It relies solely on the use of natural means of production such as the agricultural cycle of crops and natural fertilizers produced from plant residues and animal manure to improve the soil.

The National Environmental Education and Awareness Strategy is based on six key objectives that were developed according to international standards and the expectations of the parties concerned. It is aimed at educating the youth of the UAE towards a sustainable future and strengthening the community’s commitment to sustainability and environmental protection. In addition, the Strategy encourages the active participation of enterprises and economic sectors in moving towards environmental sustainability and educates Governments and key stakeholders on environmental issues. The synergy and effectiveness of outreach and environmental education in the UAE as well as efficient capacity-building will enable the effective implementation of the National Environmental Education and Awareness Strategy.