Enhancing date palm processing, marketing and pest control through organic culture.

Abstract

Although the processing, marketing and pest control challenges of date palm have been discussed in many conferences and symposia, little attention has been paid to the particular challenges for its organic production and handling; especially those affecting conventional producers faced with land degradation, biodiversity loss and pollution and who are in transition to organic systems. Although organic farming is being promoted as an environmentally-friendly approach in most developed countries, there has been little consideration for developing countries, which are the main producers of dates. In this article we will examine the potential benefits, and processing, marketing and pest control challenges, associated with organic date palm production.