The Arab Organization for Agricultural Development (AOAD) participated in the 1st International Meeting on Innovative and Sustainable Approaches for the Control of Red Palm Weevil, which was held in Bari, Italy, during the period 23-25 October 2018. The meeting was organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in cooperation with the International Center for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (CIHEAM).

The meeting tackled the policies and regulatory frameworks for the management and early detection of red palm weevil, using multidisciplinary approaches to identify and transfer new technologies, innovative methods and environmentally friendly procedures to control the red palm weevil, identify environmental, social and economic impacts, and focus on management gaps and how to treat the red palm weevil and future prospects.

It is worth mentioning that AOAD has paid particular attention to the date palm sector in its annual work plans. It implemented several projects, studies and training courses related to the development, production, marketing and processing of dates in the Arab region.

AOAD in collaboration with FAO, has established a strategic framework for developing the value chain for date palm in the Arab region and has established an international alliance with some regional and international organizations and centers to implement the framework, which were represented in FAO, the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas, Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation and the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA).