Organic push by UAE farmer and French chef

A UAE-based French chef and the first organically-certified farmer in the emirates will team up to advocate the use of home-grown UAE products within the country’s F&B industry.

Mazaraa Organic Products owner Khalid Butti Al-Shamsi and Kempinski Hotel Ajman executive chef Didier Gusching will present a session at Gourmet Abu Dhabi entitled ‘Sourcing Local Arabic Product: Does Anything Worthwhile Actually Grow Here?’

Thomas Norberg, chief operating officer from session hosts Al Ghurair Group, said: “Taking two totally different approaches, Khalid and Didier have made the impossible, possible — sustainable, organically grown foods from the sands of the desert.

"These two gentlemen will present their stories: one of a garden that started in the grounds of a hotel to make the pathway to the employee housing more attractive, and the other as the dream of a Sheikh to allow the people of the UAE to enjoy the pleasures of fresh, healthy organic food.

“This will be a presentation by two local pioneers who have proven, against incredible odds, that it is possible to grow and raise an incredible array of foodstuffs in the United Arab Emirates,” he noted.

Al-Shamsi's farm, close to Abu Dhabi International Airport, was the first to be organically-certified in the UAE and despite the harsh desert climate it produces more than 100 different types of fruits and vegetables. Gusching meanwhile champions the use of organic and sustainable food products and is noted for his work at the Jebel Ali International Resort.

At the Jebal Ali resort Gusching pioneered a bio garden project in which he grew herbs and vegetables within the hotel's grounds.

The Gourmet Abu Dhabi Industry Forum – Arabian Hospitality takes place at the Armed Forces Officers Club and Hotel on February 16 — admission to the event is free, but audience members will need to reserve their place beforehand.