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The date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) is one of the oldest fruit crops cultivated in the Middle East, North Africa (MENA) and nowadays in many parts of arid and semi-arid regions of the world. The date palm is also one of the most important income-generating crops, providing a major source of export earnings and livelihoods for millions of rural smallholders. Furthermore, it provides food and nutrition security for millions of users especially as part of school feeding for children and recently as a snack even in some developed countries. Traditional production and distribution systems dominate value chains for dates, and while very good examples exist of companies and countries that are modernizing sustainable systems and expanding exports, there is still scope for significant advances. Through the economic activities generated, the date production and trade can make a positive contribution to the achievements of a number of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, constraints to production, improved genetic resources, pests and disease, post-harvest handling and processing, marketing and trade, limit the competitiveness of the date palm sector in local, regional and international markets. Population, gender and consumption dynamics exert external forces on the date palm production and value chain. In this regard, the national governments, reg