Page 82 - Respond 2014 | RTCC Publications

technology

why date

palms combat

desertification

Al Wathba Marionnet, a leading plant bio- Al Wathba Marionnet LLC is a leading plant bio-technology
technology company based in Abu Dhabi, company established in Abu Dhabi in 1997, as part of the U.A.E.
Ofsets program between France and the United Arab Emirates. It
explain how date palm groves can combat is considered to be one of the world’s most important producer of
land degradation date palms through plant tissue culture technology.

One quarter of the world’s population lives in dry-lands from private farmers to local governments and international organizations direct their
where desertifcation progresses fast. procurements to Al Wathba Marionnet for their date palm plantation projects.
The economical and social situation of the rural The company also regularly contributes to the projects of several NGO’s like ICRISAT,
indigenous people degrades with the same pace, forcing UNDP, FAO and the ICRC mainly in the Sahel regions.
them to migrate or to strive.
Today, hundreds of thousands of trees are producing millions of tons of dates in over
Combating desertifcation is a must for the development 20 countries around the world in Africa, the Middle-East, Indian subcontinent, South
of these rural regions as it converts degraded lands into East Asia, and Central America. Still, more are currently too young to bear fruits.
agricultural zones which in turn, allow the populations
to access food supplies, promote local economical Careful planning
development, creates jobs, and contributes by its Its state-of-the-art technology grants Al Wathba Marionnet with true-to-type vitroplants
greenery to the fght against climate change. of several economic varieties of date palms.
Date palm is extremely connected with human life. Mother offshoots used for propagation are carefully selected and genetically controlled
Perfectly adapted to the harsh climatic conditions of independently by the G.E.V.E.S (Variety and Seed Study and Control Group), a
these areas, it is one of the perfect tools to achieve this department of the French Ministry of Agriculture.
combat. Very strict production protocols are observed during the whole process from the
Date palm groves require workforce while dates are an laboratories to the greenhouses in order to ensure the quality of the plants whether on
easy-to-store rich staple food and basically all parts of the genetic or phytosanitary aspects.
the tree are inputs for by-products industry. Such production protocols are constantly developed through internal Research &

Subsidiary of century-old biotech company Marionnet Development and cooperation with several International Research Centers. After a long
S.A.R.L., France, Al Wathba Marionnet LLC is a renowned process of around 30 to 36 months, the date palm vitroplants are fully hardened and
biotechnology frm established in Abu Dhabi, United Arab ready for dispatch.
Emirates since 1997 specialized in the mass production Planted in pots of 1/3 liter, they present 3 to 5 juvenile leaves along with a well
Date Palms through Tissue Culture technology. Clients developed root system allowing them to easily travel by air around the world and stand
the environmental conditions upon arrival.
Airfreight is carried out in pallets loaded with boxes each set to contain 25 date palm
vitroplants stacked in trays, easing manipulation.

It’s noteworthy that the U.A.E. Ministry of Environment and Water controls all our
shipments and issues internationally recognized phytosanitary certifcates attesting the
healthiness of our plants. Typically, the frst harvest of dates takes place around 3 to 5
years after delivery.
Al Wathba Marionnet also provides consultation and in-house training programs for
technicians, farm or project managers on post-delivery agricultural practices, pest
management, irrigation techniques and plantation management.
Consultation on harvest and post-harvest can be arranged as well.
Al Wathba Marionnet LLC is proud to contribute to the development of arid and semi-
arid regions around the world to fght against desertifcation and improve the quality
of life of the indigenous populations while helping the
expansion of afforestation, which is inevitable to help
responding to climate change.
Al Wathba Marionnet LLC
80 www.rtcc.org www.awm-datepalm.com