The Jewish festival of Sukkot (Tabernacles) that has
just concluded is also the harvest festival – celebrating the ingathering of
crops. It is an ideal opportunity to highlight how Israel is helping
combat world hunger and feed an ever-increasing global population.
These examples of relevant news article are just from the last three months.
Israel has revolutionized agriculture globally with
its scientific innovations. Israel’s Phytech, for example, has
developed innovative crop
sensors that boost agricultural productivity and are now being adopted
worldwide. Israel’s Kaiima Bio-Agritech is producing
high-yielding varieties of essential food and feed
crops using its proprietary (non-GMO) seed-enhancing platform.
Crop yields
can also be increased by combatting pests. Israel’s EdenShield has developed a
non-toxic pesticide with an aroma that repels pests. It is already used in Israel,
Spain, Italy, Turkey and Greece and is soon to be launched in the USA,
Mexico and the EU. Meanwhile, Israeli biotech Evogene has recently manufactured
the first toxin against Western
corn rootworm and bred bananas
that are resistant to the hugely damaging Black
Sigatoka fungus. Another Israeli biotech, BioFeed, has developed a “no-spray”
solution to kill the fruit flies that have been devastating mango
plantations in India.
Other ways
to prevent food wastage is to pick crops at the optimum time. Israeli start-up AclarTech
has developed the AclaroMeter app that works with a smartphone’s camera and the
Israeli SCIO molecular scanner, to monitor the ripeness, freshness and quality
of fruit and vegetables. The SCIO scanner itself has
been sent to US dairy farmers to help them check
the nutrition of dry forage and deliver a more consistent diet to their
animals.
You cannot
grow crops without an adequate water supply and Israeli
innovation in water conservation is benefiting
water-stressed regions of the world, from Kenya to India to California. Thanks to Israeli
drip irrigation, 15,000
farmers in Karnataka, southwestern India, are currently harvesting
their first monsoon season crop in years. In another Israeli
approach, Ben Gurion University’s desert research
farm
demonstrates how to grow crops in the drought conditions of a minimal rainfall
climate.
Water is of
course the basis for fish farming. Israeli aquaculture startup Latimeria breeds
fish in desalinated
water with salt added to save energy, minimize leakage and prevent
harmful bacteria. Additional technology developed at the Hebrew
University of Jerusalem promotes fish growth and is providing a vital
food resource in Uganda.
The solution is being further developed by Israeli startup Aquinovo.
Israel
is devoting much effort to preventing hunger in Africa.
Tahal Group – a subsidiary of Israel’s Kardan – is constructing three
agricultural centers in Angola
and a huge agricultural and water project in Zambia. Meanwhile, Rwanda’s President Paul
Kagame praised Israel’s agricultural technology, saying “Israel has
continued to follow
through on its commitments and objective of scaling up engagement
across Africa.”
And
President Faustin-Archange Touadéra made the first-ever visit to Israel by the
head of state of the Central African
Republic (CAR). He said to
Israeli President Rivlin “we have come to Israel in order to learn – your
country is a school for us.”
Two of the
most effective organizations working on the African continent are MASHAV and
Innovation: Africa. MASHAV (Israel’s
Agency for International Development Cooperation) is continually busy from Burkina
Faso to Zambia.
Innovation: Africa’s latest successes in Uganda
were ably documented in a video featuring the
8-year-old daughter of the Israeli NGO’s founder. Finally, while the
international media has been bemoaning inter-tribal disputes in South Sudan,
Israel has been distributing food
aid to drought-stricken villagers.
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width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JZq9D3shuxY"
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Israel
brings overseas farmers to the Jewish State to pass on the knowledge to feed
their own populations. Israel’s
Arava International Center for Agriculture Training (AICAT)
has changed
the lives of many of its 16,000 foreign
students. And 1,200
students from across Africa and Asia have just completed the 13th
running of Israel’s unique post-graduate AgroStudies agriculture
apprentice training program. Meanwhile
10,000 high-tech professionals descended upon Tel Aviv for its 5th annual DLD (Digital
Life Design) Conference. This year’s focus was on food
tech in which Israel has over 500 startups.
Finally, whilst
the United
Nations Secretary General was being shown
Israeli technological innovation to benefit the planet,
the recently launched Israeli-developed VENµS
satellite continues to orbit the Earth monitoring
global agriculture
issues and the health of the environment
of our planet.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECqCDrBxwwk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECqCDrBxwwk
With Israeli
innovation,
You shall
eat, and be satisfied.
Michael
Ordman writes a free weekly newsletter containing positive news stories about
Israel.
www.verygoodnewsisrael.blogspot.com
and a searchable archive www.IsraelActive.com
For
a free subscription, email a request to michael.goodnewsisrael@gmail.com
