With the attendance of 88 farmers and experts in the Date Palm cultivation sector, and representing 16 Arab countries.

Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation organized a virtual lecture, presenting “Dates Quality and the requirements of the European and international market”, by Mr. Mohsen BuJabal, Chairman of the Board of Directors of BuJabal Company, Former Director of Planning and Economic Studies at the Ministry of Agriculture, The Republic of Tunisia, on Monday the 14^th of December, 2020. The lecture was attended by 88 participants, representing 16 countries, among which are members of the Date Palm Friends Society in the UAE, date palm farmers, and Agricultural experts.

This virtual lecture held via Zoom, comes under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, President of the Award’s Board of Trustees, and within the Award’s framework and commitment to spread the scientific knowledge and awareness on the Date Palm Best Practices, and providing technical and scientific advice and support to farmers to help them improve the Dates quality. Dr. Abdelouahhab Zaid, the Award’s Secretary General, expressed his appreciation to the extended scientific and professional efforts made by Mr. Mohsen BuJabal over the past two decades in the field of manufacturing and exporting Arab dates to the world and the European market in particular, pointing out also the keenness of the Award’s General Secretariat on maintaining the high quality of the Arabic dates and strengthening it international standing by sharing distinguished knowledge and expertise to all date producers and processors in the Arab world.

For his side, Mr. Mohsen BuJabal, presented during the lecture that Europe started importing dates in a feasible manner from about seventy years, and specifically countries in the south of the continent. Consumers from around the world, especially Europe, are becoming more demanding in terms of quality, added Mr. BuJabal. As a result, this encouraged date exporting companies to apply the quality approach by referring to the set standards and references. These specifications and standards evolved after the change in the market expectations and specifically the final consumer. This prompted the exporting companies to work on developing producing points to meet such requirements.

Moving forward, Mr. BuJabal highlighted the necessity of having a special system set to monitor dates, and to be approved by the competent authorities in the Arab countries and applied in the dates manufacturing companies, with the aim of reaching the European and global consumers, where obtaining a quality assurance certificate for European customers, especially large retailers, is a must. This will also need continuous maintenance and improvement of the quality system, as it is a main factor in the sustainability of a company in the global markets.

Mr. BuJabal also noted the need for dates factories to obtain a number of certificates in order to ensure your continued presence in the international markets, such as ISO 22000, HACCP and ISO 9001, and there are certificates related to some European countries such as the British Retail Consortium (BRC) certificate. International Food Standards (IFS) is an auditing standard that certifies the supply of food stores. It is adopted by some European countries (Germany, France, etc.). In addition to the certificate of social responsibility (ISO 26000) with the need to lift measures to control risks related to food safety within the supply chain.

Mr. BuJabal, then presented the need for dates factories to obtain a number of certificates in order to ensure its continuous presence in the international markets, such as ISO 22000, HACCP and ISO 9001, where there is also certificates related to some European countries such as the British Retail Consortium (BRC) certificate, International Food Standards (IFS) is an auditing standard that certifies the supply of food stores, as it is adopted by some European countries (Germany, France, etc.). In addition to the certificate of social responsibility (ISO 26000) with the need to lift measures to control risks related to food safety within the supply chain.

Mr. BuJabal, also stressed on the importance of organic farming, along with the Global GAP system. Since 2008, the European Union (EUREPGAP) has had a series of internationally recognized food safety and traceability standards. Where there is also a new equation that is spreading at the level of global trade expressing fair trade, it is an exchange system that aims to provide greater shares in global clean trade away from any exploitation of farmer's rights. Date producers and manufacturers are also to follow and implement the social responsibility system by taking into account the expectations of stakeholders, and establishing transparent relations with its employees and to ensure equal professional opportunities between men and women. Treating its farmers with fairness and respect by allowing them to benefit as much as possible and to be a corporate citizen in the service of sustainable development, is also part of the system.

Mr. Mohsen BuJabal then concluded the lecture by highlighting the great role played by the Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation in supporting and developing the date palm cultivation sector and the date production worldwide, through organizing the Arab International Date Palm Festivals and the accompanying activities and events. Which actively contributed to the increase the reputation of the Arab dates and the volume of exports, in addition to the series of international conferences organized by the Award’s General Secretariat for over twenty years.