@FAO - FAO DG at the award ceremony with UAE officials

Abu Dhabi/UAE 17 May 2017

FAO Director-General, José Graziano da Silva gave the keynote speech at the 9^th Session of “Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation” ceremony  in Abu Dhabi. The Ceremony was held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE’s Deputy Prime minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs.

H.H Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, UAE Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development,  Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation,  and FAO  Director-General honoured this year’s winners during the Ceremony in the presence of H.E. Dr. Thani Bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment; H.E Dr. Abdelmuneam Al Banna, Egypt’s Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation; H.E Gen. Alaa Abu Zeid, Governor of Matruh, Egypt; and the Award’s Board of Trustees. 

Speaking at the award ceremony, the FAO Director-General praised the UAE's role in research and conservation efforts. Da Silva noted that throughout the region, date palm is valued for its nutritional benefits, contributions to ecosystems and role in preserving traditional knowledge and added “FAO recognizes that this blessed fruit, with its remarkable nutritious properties is an important element in the strategy of to eliminate hunger and malnutrition in many countries.”

FAO’s work in the Date Palm production

FAO has been involved in promoting and improving date palm cultivation and production for more than 50 years. It’s worth mentioning that the issue of transboundary pests and diseases such as the Red Palm Weevil that cause significant losses to the valuable date palm industry, are at the top of FAO’s agenda.

Speaking about the Red Palm Weevil; FAO DG highlighted that this invisible killer has rapidly expanded its global spread and threatens date and coconut production if its advance is not stopped. He also stressed on the immediate and urgent coordination between countries and the broad recognition of the Red Palm Weevil challenges on national, regional and global levels.

In light of this alarming challenge, FAO co-organised a Scientific Consultation Meeting on the Red Palm Weevil Management with the International Center for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (CIEHAM), to defeat this global threat. In fruit of the latter, a new action plan to stop the spread of the Red Palm Weevil that has been endorsed by decision-makers at the FAO headquarters in Rome. The high level meeting defined multi-disciplinary and multi-regional programme and strategy for the management and containment of RPW.

FAO DG concluded his speech by paying attribute to the great role Khalifa International Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation Award plays, in highlighting the importance of the date palm beyond the oases of the UAE. The Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation, established in 2007 with the aim to boost the scientific development in the date palm sector.