The Abu Dhabi Organic Farm

The 55 hectare farm produces 70 types of fruit, vegetables and herbs as well as livestock. 2 hectares is dedicated solely to greenhouse production.

The farm does not use pesticides or insecticides and is populated by hundreds of parrots. Ordinarily this would be a concern, as the parrots would target and decimate the produce – not here though. The farm grows sunflowers solely to feed the parrots, and steer them away from their main crop. Explaining the concept, Khalid Bin Butti Al Shamsi, the owner of the Abu Dhabi Organic Farm said;

“These sunflowers have been planted only for those parrots so they get their due share of food and ensure they do not eat the vegetables and fruits in the field. We never do anything to scare the parrots and birds as other farmers do, because they are part of the ecosystem and support farming.”

Likewise, insects are bred in a lab on the farm. These insects are dubbed “friendly insects” and are being released into the fields and greenhouses. Most of the greenhouses are equipped with complex heating and cooling systems which adjust automatically depending on the weather.

Robin Parker of Gabriel Ash said;

“This farm is an example to us all. Sustainability is the key to a brighter tomorrow. We can’t keep taking from the Earth and not giving anything back.”

You could call this as a method of biological pesticide and insecticide. It is very sustainable and brings wider issues into focus. Those cultivating the land need to be aware that giving something back to the natural ecosystem can benefit everybody – and everything in the long term.

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