Agroecological Practices on Traditional Date Farms

Agroecology is a set of agricultural practices that considers the natural environment in crop cultivation. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations defines it as the science and practice of applying ecological concepts and principles to manage interactions between plants, animals, humans, and the environment for food security and nutrition. Sustainable agroecological systems in agricultural production aim to create balanced natural resource utilization while maintaining adequate and profitable food systems to ensure food security and thriving farming communities in line with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Date is one of the most suitable crops for achieving sustainable agroecological farming systems, particularly in harsh agroclimatic regions of the world. This chapter covers the basic concepts of sustainable agroecological systems and links to the SDGs, utilizing date palm as a model crop. Although literature concerning agroecology in general, and on date palm particularly, is lacking and there are plenty of gaps to be filled, this chapter highlights the importance of both the practice and the science of agroecology in date production. Case studies and examples from Oman and around the world are presented in the hope that this will drive further research on this topic and the adoption of sustainable agroecological elements in agriculture and crop production.