Will dates survive climate change?

For most of us, dates are an occasional sweet treat – a long-lasting, caramel-flavored addition to lunchboxes, scones, hiking kits and pantries.

But in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), the dried fruit’s meaning and significance are much more expansive. The date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) evolved there and is the oldest and most abundant fruit tree in the region.

Today, it makes up a key component of MENA’s agri-food systems and an integral part of local cultural heritage and social and economic life.

The United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.), for instance, has more than 40…