Israel Agricultural Research and Development Challenges and Opportunities

Israel Agricultural Research and Development: Challenges and Opportunities Overview of Israel Agriculture Technology Applied Research Landscape Yuval Eshdat Chief Scientist Office Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Development The State of Israel Oct 30 th, 2014, ISERD, Tel Aviv

Constraints of Israeli Agriculture v Shortage of water resources v Scarcity of precipitation v Two thirds of the land area defined as semi-arid or arid regions v Shortage in “On farm labor” v Complex geopolitical environment v Distance from the export markets v All are very “good reasons” not to have agriculture…

All are very “good reasons” not to have agriculture… but: Israel had to be an independent producer of its food since its creation, thus such necessity became the mother of innovation These constraints compel Israeli agriculture to: v Ensure a high degree of self supply, we faced “Food Security” already 65 years ago – not only now! v Guarantee advantage with constant novelty v Advance KBBE to develop and improve intensive production technology which meets economic profitability criteria

Ein Yahav: past and present

Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Development [MOARD] MOARD Main Objectives 2014 v To ensure continuous supply of fresh & healthy agricultural products for the local market, at cost-effective prices for both consumers & farmers v To develop novel production technologies, minimize inputs and maintain a sustainable green ecological agriculture v To promote inhabitation of rural areas by providing means for adequate income

MOARD agricultural R&D is aimed to help in achieving the Ministry objectives MOARD Chief Scientist's major goals are: v to identify obstacles that prevent reaching the Ministry goals due to knowledge gaps v to determine research objectives aimed to bridge such gaps v to fund such target-oriented research activity and to monitor research performance v to bridge between the obtained scientific data and its implementation v to plan the agricultural R&D strategy

Current Research Priorities & Areas Supported & Controlled by MOARD Chief Scientist Office Designated Thematic Goals • Improved animal production and aquaculture • Food safety & quality; organic farming • Animal & plant protection • Horticulture & ornamental plants: quality improvement & new varieties • Efficient & safe water management (potable; brackish; recycled; desalinated) • Sustainable and ecological agriculture; Alternative pest management • Shelf-life improvement of fresh agricultural products • Reducing man-power needs by novel technologies (engineering and biological) The Chief Scientist Office Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Development

Current Research Priorities & Areas Supported & Controlled by MOARD Chief Scientist Office Cross-border Thematic Goals • Facing agricultural threats associated with global & local: - Climate change - Food security crisis - Alternative energy • Precision agriculture (ICT = Information & Communication Technologies) • Agricultural biotechnology and its legal and societal regulation • Market-oriented novel agricultural products • Economic, marketing and rural development policy The Chief Scientist Office Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Development

Current Research Priorities & Areas Collaborative Funding Major joint venture R&D of MOARD with other funding bodies • Agricultural ecology and forestry (KKL-JNF, Water Authority) • Biodiversity and Gene Banks (Plants & Zoological) • Improving agricultural-related energy use and production (Min Energy & Water) • Production of innovated agricultural products by the private sector (Min Economics) • Plant genomics assisting future agriculture; ICT; Veterinary; Mediterranean Agriculture; Industrial Biotechnology; Joint Program Initiative on Food & energy Crisis & Climate change (ERA-Nets of the EU Commission) • Mission oriented fundamental research – BARD (US-IL Agricultural Bi-National fund) The Chief Scientist Office Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Development

Other major funding bodies involved in agricultural research • • • BSF – US-IL Bi-national Science Fund ISF – Israel Science Foundation GIF – German-Israel Fund BIRD – US-IL Bi-national Industrial Fund MOST – Ministry of Science & Technology Bi- and multi- lateral funds such as Horizon 2020 The supported projects by these funds include fundamental & industrial research not necessarily related to MOARD objectives The Chief Scientist Office Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Development

Agricultural R&D Sites & Players לשכת המדען הראשי Extension Services Governmental Research Inst. High Education Institutes Agri. Res. Org. (ARO) Regional R&D Centers Regional Experimental Stations Volcani Ctr. Gilat Ctr. Neve Yaar Ctr. Veterinary Res. Inst. Land & Ocean Sci. Org. Other Research Centers Applied Research Basic Science

Chief Scientist International R&D Policy: v Positioning Israel as a worldwide leading center for agricultural R&D and resulting know-how v Strengthen the international position of Israel while using it’s reputation and cutting edge technologies v Promoting advanced, novel and efficient agricultural R&D in Israel v Promoting the involvement of the agricultural industry in international projects

Relative advantages of the Israeli Agricultural R&D q Experience in multidisciplinary R&D activities with proven abilities to develop agricultural know-how q Ability to solve up-to-date agricultural problems q Knowledge and experience in intruding new products and technologies into agricultural practice q Ability to perform high-tech R&D projects for Tomorrow‘s Agriculture q Israel agriculture as a worldwide “beta site”

Foo ds ecu r i ty cr is is En er gy r ate W g ng iin rm rm wa w y ilit b ila a av all a ob ob Gll G Israel as a worldwide R&D Beta Site for Multidiciplinary Projects

: : ed el e e ffe ov no es all n es a m d rc im ved urc u An ro v so An ro s p d p m ood Im oo f Postharvest: Food losses and packaging n: n: d tiio y an t o an tec dlly t c ro en e ro en t p frii blle t p fr an n, , nab an Pll ee n iin P ee gr usta gr sta s M, , su PM IIP Food Security Pr ec Be isio tte n a les r yie gric s i lds ultu np r ut with e: s Breeding for high yielding & disease & stress tolerant cultivars Ag ric ha n ultu rv ov ral es el tin im eng g p i te rov nee ch e rin no d g lo gi es Multidisciplinary R&D activities in the Food Crisis Project

n: n: tiio sts tec e ro g p t p viin se t p v n se e an ol sea an o Pll ev diis ev w d d Ne an Climate Change & Global worming Fertigation P Ag reci ric sio ult n ur e Drought tolerant new cultivars g g riin r we we fllo set f o set ed iit at ed t at ov fru he ov fru e r r pr d m an de IIm an nde un u gr Nov ee el n i te hou mpr ch s o no e c ve lo oo d gi es ling Multidisciplinary R&D activities in the Global Worming Project

Thank you for your attention

Dear guests and collaborators, good Afternoon As a representative of the current chief scientist of the Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Development, who apologizes for not being able to be here today, I welcome you to this meeting and wish you a fruitful day. I will concentrate in my talk on the Agricultural and its derived R&D activity of this ministry, which is the major public funder of Israel agricultural research.