Date palm harvesting in a Maghreb  oasis. © Nabil Lalib

Collaborating countries 

Algeria
Tunisia
Morocco

Funding for this project is provided by GEF-UNDP

Oases are bounded and fragile microenvironments maintained by the careful management of plant and other resources, allowing a diversity of species to flourish.  The date palm is a key species in maintaining oasis diversity, providing conditions of increased shade, moisture, and soil stability that allow other species such as olives, almonds, pomegranates, figs, grapes, apricot, alfalfa, beans, barley and wheat to grow.  The project studies the threat of genetic erosion to date palm genetic resources in the Maghreb region, namely:

• the low availability of indigenous varieties of date palm due to the formal sector's preference for multiplying and distributing only a few varieties of date palms, often those resistant to Bayoud, a serious disease attacking palms in the region;

• and the market forces that are encouraging farmers to grow only a few high value varieties of date palms.

The spread of higher-yielding, improved varieties increases the risk of damage from pests and diseases, and often requires more water than indigenous date palm varieties.  The project will develop an integrated ecosystem approach to the management of the oases sites, focusing on activities that will serve to broaden the number of date palm varieties that will be grown in situ. Project activities are described as:

• in situ pre-screening of palms to speed up the process of variety selection for multiplication

• adapting techniques to multiply a greater range of date palm varieties

• maintaining local cultural knowledge of date palm and oasis management by men and women

• developing alternative markets for date palm products and creating value for a wide range of phenotypic characteristics and the incentive to grow more varieties in situ

• developing national capacity to negotiate genetic property rights

• replicating project best practices at other sites.

Human aspects Ethnobotany Home Gardens