DUBAI // Hundreds of people learnt about the benefits of organic vegetables and how to grow them at an event in Zabeel Park.
Members of the public met farming hobbyists who shared their experiences at The Grow Your Food campaign, organised by Dubai Municipality.
Indian housewife Asha Krishna, 45, started farming vegetables in her villa’s garden a couple of years ago.
“Two years ago this campaign was initiated and I participated at that time when people from the municipality visited me,” she said.
“It was my first time that I farmed vegetables. Since then I have been learning and growing all my vegetables in my garden.
“I grow cucumber, carrots, cabbages, tomatoes, potatoes and aubergines, so I am not buying any vegetables from grocery shops. After six months, I will be eating vegetables only from my garden.”
Nursery teacher Kashmira Sanganee, 50, said she had been interested in gardening since she was a child.
“I do not know exactly how to grow organic things and cultivate food in that way,” she said. “I am here to learn more about the proper methods of growing organic food.”
Jisha Jayan, 44, principal of Habitat Private School Ajman, said 5,000 of the school’s students had started farming vegetables in the school garden.
“Our school believes in the concept of a sustainable future, and we introduced farming in the curriculum because it is the best option.
“It is strongly rooted in our values and we can teach the students the wisdom of our fathers, who were experienced farmers,” he said.
This year’s campaign, which was launched last month, aims to promote food security and raise awareness about home-grown food and engage people in farming, according to Noha El Habashi, marketing manager of Expo Consultancy Bureau, the campaign’s main organiser.
She said the campaign was seeking to encourage local practice of agriculture, make Dubai environmentally sustainable and reduce the amount of food imports.
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