Bare feet pressed against the rough trunk of a palm tree, his back supported by a metal and fabric harness, Iraqi farmer Ali Abed begins the climb to the dates above in the lush countryside of central Iraq, near Janajah village in Babylon province. Once known as the country of "30 million palm trees", Iraq's ancient date-growing culture had already suffered from upheaval, especially during the 1980-88 war with Iran, before climate change became a major threat. "We have a palm grove that used to produce twelve tons [of dates] or more. Now, it only produces four to five tons," says the 36-year-old man. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES