That Box of Dates in Your Pantry Is a Minor Miracle of Desert Farming
The future of the American date industry, centered in California's Coachella Valley, is at a crossroads due to water shortages, labor costs, and a changing mark
By Foodie Pundit Newsroom - Published - Updated - Section: Agriculture Supply
Key points
- The price of specialty crops like dates serves as an early indicator of the escalating cost of water in the American West.
- Consumer demand for 'natural' sweeteners and healthy snacks is creating complex new economic challenges for geographically concentrated agricultural industries.
- The future of American-grown niche produce depends heavily on solving the intertwined problems of water rights and skilled agricultural labor.
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Sources and methodology
Reported from the public datasets below.
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