The date palm (Phoenix dactylifera) is one of the oldest cultivated fruit trees, grown in arid and semi-arid regions for at least 6,000 years. The fruit — dates — are a dense, sweet staple food across the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia, eaten fresh (as soft, semi-dry, or dry varieties) or processed into syrup, paste, and sugar.
Dates are a significant source of energy and have played a central role in the food cultures of desert communities. Medjool and Deglet Noor are the most commercially important varieties worldwide. In some regions, the sap of the date palm is also tapped and consumed fresh as a sweet drink, fermented into toddy, or boiled down into palm sugar (jaggery).
In Australia, dates are grown in small quantities in arid regions of Western Australia and South Australia. Most dates sold in Australia are imported from the Middle East and California.
How it's produced
Date palms thrive in hot, dry climates with access to groundwater or irrigation. They are dioecious — male and female flowers grow on separate trees — so commercial plantations include a small number of male trees for pollination, often done by hand or mechanically to ensure reliable fruit set.
Trees begin producing fruit at four to eight years of age and can remain productive for over a century. Dates grow in large hanging clusters and are harvested by hand, with workers climbing the trees or using hydraulic lifts. In traditional production, sap is collected by tapping the crown of the tree. After harvest, dates are sorted, cleaned, and may be dried further or processed into paste, syrup, or sugar.
What it costs the planet (per kilo)
≈ Estimated from its category — typical for fruit, not measured for this item yet. Sources & methods →
What comes from this
Your household's take
One thumb per person, shared with your household — it steers what the wider-web shelf and the swap chips offer you. Tap again to take it back.
✎ Spotted something wrong? Suggest a correction
Checking who you are...