A. Fakhry & Co. and Organic:

A. Fakhry & Co. has been growing, producing and exporting organic products for over 10 years, and has perfected the manufacturing process of Organic oils, with a quality that is recognized the world over as being one of the best for organic oils.

In total we have over 150 organic products; 8 of which are Extracts, stemming from some of the rarest and grandest floral products used in the Fine Fragrance and Flavor industries, that until now only existed as petroleum solvent extracted Absolutes.

Our Organic Extracts:

A. Fakhry & Co. has an organic nucleus of two main farms with a total of 60 hectares integrating botanical and husbandry farming. We believe that in order to have a truly balanced ecosystem one must adopt a holistic approach that integrates all aspects of farm life. These two farms are completed with a network of farms owned by organic farmers working under contract with A. Fakhry & Co., accounting for an additional 200 hectares.

Other than organic oil extraction, A. Fakhry & Co.'s activities range from pilot projects to acclimatize new aromatic plant species which are not endemic to Egypt, joining efforts with national and international institutes/universities to exchange information [Cairo University faculties of Agriculture & Entomology; University of Hohenheim (Germany); Royal Gardens at Kew (London, UK)], to composting, botanical nursery activities, seed diversity conservation, new species varietals identification, an organic bovine husbandry (dairy products) and apiary projects to name a few. The farms also serve as a learning center for farmers that wish to make the conversion from conventional to organic farming.

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What does it mean?

Simply put, organic oils are obtained from plants that are grown without chemical pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizers or any other artificial or polluting agents (e.g. composts made urban/sanitary sludge) added into the soil, or used as part of the manufacturing process (e.g. distillation, expression, extraction.) Organic farming also takes into consideration the local ecological conditions of the land and helps to work with them, as opposed to imposing foreign inputs to control the conditions, and that may have undesirable effects.

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  Benefits of organic produce:

The benefits of organically grown produce are mainly health and environment related. It is the “cleaner” version of conventional products.

Using no pesticides causes less pollutants to seep into the soil or be carried through the air, also less synthetic materials are absorbed into our bodies when the fruits are consumed.

According to the Organic Trade Association, organic produce actually contains more nutrients than conventionally grown fruit and vegetables. This position seems to be substantiated lately by numerous scientific publications (e.g. Lycopene content in tomatoes organic vs. conventional.)

Environmental benefits: Just some of the most important aspects of organic farming’s environmental benefits:
• Organic farms don’t release artificial pesticides into the environment — some of which may harm the wildlife.
• Organic farms are better than conventional farms at working with natural systems, through sustaining diverse ecosystems, instead of seeking to dominate them .
• Organic farms use less energy and produce less waste.

(Organic Farming, by Nicolas Lampkin)

Health benefits:

Consumers would like to be reassured that products they purchase would not have adverse effects on their health. Below are some of the aspects that set organic products apart form conventional products when it comes to health concerns.

• An organic product is basically a pure product with no synthetic, artificial or chemical materials added onto it at any stage of its process, meaning that when the product is consumed it is in its natural state and will not impose any artificial materials into the body.
• Some scientific findings show that organically produced food contains higher levels of antioxidants and lower levels of mycotoxins than conventional products.
• Organic essential oils are said to have much greater therapeutic worth than conventional oils because of the pure nature of the plant, the extraction process, and the oil itself being void of any chemical impurities.

(Organic Trade Association, www.ota.com)  (www.statssheet.com)

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  The Organic Market:

“ Global sales of organic food and drink are approaching $40 billion. With demand outpacing supply, a number of regions are experiencing supply shortages.” (The Global Market for Organic Food & Drink: www.organicmonitor.com)

The organic market as a whole is a very fast developing one in all segments. The consumer’s perspective on products and value has, and continues to change. The world is becoming a lot more health conscious and people care about what it is they are putting on and in their bodies, as well as what is being emitted in to the environment (e.g. spraying, diffusing, pouring, spilling,…).

The organic cosmetics market is growing at a rate of >20% a year, and it is said that the organic food market will expand by 71% from 2006 to 2011. Consumers are becoming more interested in food that is free of pesticides and other artificial agents, and they believe that organic food is healthier and better for the environment than conventional products.

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  Organic Certification:

 CERES, CERtification of Environmental Standards, GmbH (Happurg, Germany)

“ CERES, Certification of Environmental Standards GmbH (EC) 834/2007 [JAS compliant], by Ceres GmbH (Happurg, Germany) ”

“ CERES, Certification of Environmental Standards GmbH. USDA-NOP "Final Rule" [JAS compliant], by Ceres GmbH (Happurg, Germany) ”
(www.ceres-cert.com)



 Demeter

“ Demeter, Biodynamic’, by C.O.A.E (Center of Organic Agriculture in Egypt) ”
(www.demeter.net)