MorgenLand Project Algeria

The initial impetus for the organic dates project in Algeria came from the family of Orhan Yilmaz. This recommendation led us to Biskra a few years ago, a city situated at an oasis in the north-east-ern Sahara in Algeria. There, in the midst of dry steppes there are vast expanses of land on which magnificent date palms flourish.

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Deglet Nour datesMorgenLand has been working with growers in Biskra since 2013 on one of the most pop-ular date varieties, the “Deglet Nour”. These are characterised in particular by their golden colour. When held up to the sun, the sweet fruit pulp of the thumb-sized date is almost transparent, and the contours of the long pit with pointed ends can be easily distin-guished.

The date plantations of the MorgenLand cultivation project were organically cer-tified with the support of Project Manager Kees Maris. In parts, up to 2500 real palms stand ten metres apart in Algeria’s date fields. They grow between 15 to 20 metres high and bear fruit for up to a century. Every two years the palms’ pollinated flowers bear new dates.

The fruits dry in the simmering heat of the desert sun while still on the branch. As soon as the drying phase is over, the very hard dates are harvested by hand and then trans-

ported in crates to the processing facility located in Biskra. There, they are first sorted

by size, degree of drying and further criteria before they are washed and sprinkled with drink-ing water until the desired mois-ture content has been reached.

The dates are then pitted by hand. This method of processing and in particular the moistening of the dried raw goods gives the Deglet Nour dates their especially soft consistency.

“The bread of the desert”Due to their high nutrient concentration, dates were counted as a staple foodstuff as far back as 5000 years ago, and this is also the case today, par-ticularly in the East. That is why they are also known as “the bread of the desert”.

Not only can the sweet honey caramel date fruit pulp be used as an important food product and energy source, but in the desert the date pits are also

trampled down, mixed with a small amount of water and used as animal food.

Dates are characterised not only by their high number of vitamins and trace ele-ments, but also by their significance in human history. Due to its consistent bloom-ing and very diverse uses, the date palm is considered to be a tree of life in the Bible, and has become a symbol of resurrection. Dates also enjoy an important role in Islam. During the fasting period of Ramadan, Mus-lims break their fast after sunset with a date and a glass of water, as the Prophet Muham-mad purportedly recommended.

“Deglet Nour” – Finger of LightWhen looking at their rich level of nutrients, it is not surprising that dates have enjoyed such a significant role in various stages of history.

The date variety “Deglet Nour”, which when translated means “finger of light”, got its name due to its particularly soft, almost transparent fruit pulp and its full-bodied sweet flavour. With its vitamins and mineral nutrients, it is a highly effective combined energy source.

MorgenLand Project

Algeria

The dates are pitted by hand in the processing facility in Biskra.

After they have arrived at the processing facility, the dates are initially carefully sorted.

ML-Ed.: “The political situation in North Africa has become more turbulent in the last few years, the countries in the region are plagued by terror and violence from extrem-ist groups. The Foreign Office in Algeria is also warning of terrorist attacks and hijack-ing. What effect does this tense political situation have on farming in Biskra?”

Interview with Kees Maris, Project Manager MorgenLand

Kees Maris regularly receives information on the project directly on site

The stakeholders in the MorgenLand date project: Kees Maris, Farmer Boufenec, Mokhtar Kenioua, Belkacem Bezziane

Kees: “It’s a fact that the overall situation is tense. However, in the small cities situat-ed at oases where our cultivation partners live, this is less apparent. In most cases, five to eight families live in areas like these. The inhabitants are self-sufficient, plant fruit and vegetables and keep cows. They are committed to sustainable community living, as they would not otherwise be able to survive. They treat the environment with incredible care, and also relations with other people are very caring and peaceful. People travel to the next town only once, or at most twice per month in order to trade their products, or occasion-ally buy medicines. Farming practices are therefore not directly affected by political circumstances. By not directly, I mean that farmers can run their farms without dis-ruption. However, only a few companies or partners from abroad are prepared to invest in cultivatable land in the country. This is not least due to the political situa-tion, although these areas actually have ideal cultivation conditions.”

ML-Ed.: “Why do these areas have ideal cultivation conditions?”

Kees: “Because people there still carry out traditional farming practices and don’t use insecticides, herbicides and fungicides. On the one hand, because these don’t work at high temperatures and in dusty conditions, and on the other hand because they just don’t have the money for them. This small-scale farming is not of much interest to the pharmaceutical industry. As the Deglet Nour date variety with its distinctive fla-vour is cultivated here, this was the perfect cultivation area for MorgenLand.”

ML-Ed.: “How do the inspection bodies work on site? Are there special conditions that need to be observed?”

Kees: “We have implemented a self-check system on-site and in the processing facility. This means that the farmers and the pro-cessing facilities are continually checking whether each cultivation and processing step they carry out is also in line with organic requirements. Furthermore, MorgenLand finances the certification process through Control Union in accordance with the EU organic farming regulation. It is ensured that the certifiers are able to cope with the geographical conditions and also with the cultural circumstances.

This is vital in order to be able to carry out any certification process in this country.”

ML-Ed.: “How do the farmers find the switch over to organic cultivation areas?”

Kees: “Usually their traditional farming practices are already in line with the guide-lines for organic products. The farmers already work without auxiliary chemicals in a circular economy. It is still important to train them in the practice of compost

preparation for the future. A long-term part-nership is of particular importance to the farmers, which is created by the organic certification we finance. They enjoy both economic and social benefits from this.

For us too, this ongoing partnership is our alpha and omega - as it means we are able to have an influence on and elucidate the entire life cycle of a product from the field until it hits shop shelves.”

ML-Ed.: “Thank you for the interview!”

The date plantations in Biskra are operated in accordance with traditional farming practices.

MorgenLand Project

Algeria

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Sorting and pitting dates in Biskra.