Strategic Framework for the Development of the Date Palm Value Chain in the Arab Region

Abstract

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Arab Organization for Agricultural Development (AOAD) entered a partnership to develop, as a first step, a regional strategic framework for the development of the date palm value chain. The framework will serve as an umbrella for concerted interventions at country and regional levels, and was developed in the context of a wide food system approach, considering elements such as the potential for food security and nutrition, sustainable use of natural resources (soil and water), contribution to ecosystems and biodiversity, potential for income generation and employment, reduction of food loss and waste, and food safety and quality. The framework presents a comprehensive strategy to revitalise and launch the date palm value chain on the path to be an even greater driver of economic development within the Arab Region. The recommendations outlined in this document were selected through a series of stakeholder consultations and a comprehensive study of the date palm value chain across the entire region. The interventions are designed to address the constraints and embrace the pportunities in the Arab Region to unleash the full potential of the date palm value chain.