Tunisian Dates Farmers of Lake Chott

Fairtrade dates are produced by Farmers Cooperatives working at the northern edge of the Sahara, near the great saltlake Chott el Djerid. The dates are the variety: "Deglet Nour" or "Finger of Light" which has a fine flavour and is easy to store.

With rainfall of only 10cm per year, water is scarce and is traditionally managed by the community cooperatives in such a way that it ensures efficient usage. Based on a rotating system, every farmer receives a periodic delivery of water which flows through a complex network of canals to each palm tree. This way every farmer with an average of just under one hectare of land receives water for a few hours every three weeks - enough for their palms, figs, pomegranates and other cultivated plants.

However, today, this system is under threat due to the overuse of groundwater reserves. The ill considered expansion of areas under cultivation and the golf course of Tozeur are two negative examples.

Dates form the region's real wealth but they are however subject to strong fluctuations as a result of changing yields, which creates a difficult situation for farmers. Fairtrade aims to strengthen small farming systems by supporting traditional cultivation methods and avoiding the use of artificial fertilisers and herbicides. Organic production combined with stable and fair prices offers farmers and their families long-term prospects.

Traditionally the date growing season begins in January when the remains of the previous harvest are cleared off the palms. Date palms are dioecious, i.e. male and female plants exist separately. For each male palm, 100 female palms are planted in the oases. In March, when the spadices are ready, the flowers have to be pollinated manually, which is done by pulling cloths saturated with pollen over the flower clusters.

A few months later, as harvest approaches, the fruit clusters grow heavy and are hung in such a way as to allow the fruits to develop really well. As ripe dates are very sensitive to moisture, the ripening fruit has to be protected from rain. From the beginning of September the clusters are therefore covered with reusable plastic bags. At harvest, from mid October, the dates are gathered by hand. The palms are climbed for any necessary tree care and for harvesting. During the course of one year this can have to be done about 10 times per palm!