Only 20% of Israel’s land is suitable for farming.
But, due to the country’s advanced Agritech industry, local farmers are able to supply 95% of Israel’s food demand. Israel generously shares its agricultural knowledge with other countries.
One Israeli agritech expert working with other countries is Dr. Michal Levy, Senior Deputy Director-General of Agricultural Innovation at the Israeli Ministry of Agriculture. She takes a world view on this issue, stating, “the whole world needs to understand we need to watch our land and practice a more sustainable agriculture. To do that, we need to have as much information as possible from our land.”
Israel uses satellite images and drones to gain information. Then they share their learnings with countries as diverse as Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Kenya, India, and Ethiopia. In fact, Israel introduced drip irrigation to Kazakhstan after that country reached out to Dr. Levy in Israel.
Drip irrigation is one method used in the Arava, a valley in Israel that extends from the Dead Sea to Eilat. Farmer managers there use their agritech knowledge to adapt crops to the desert climate and maximize yield. It is here in the Arava that Israel grows much of its produce.
The Arava Institute for Environmental Studies in Israel (AICAT) advances cross-border environmental information sharing. With support from Jewish National Fund-USA, the Institute provides professional agricultural training to over 1,200 students annually from 16 countries in Asia and Africa, empowering thousands of people to create a better future for themselves and their home communities and simultaneously providing high-quality jobs to the residents of the Central Arava. The Institute focuses on water management, sustainable development, sustainable agriculture, renewable energy, and nature conservation.
Written by Carole Salzberg, WFI Sapphire, and Roni Wolk, Assistant VP of the National WFI Executive Board