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

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

 Ensure a high degree of self supply, we faced “Food Security” already 65 years ago – not only now!  Guarantee advantage with constant novelty  Advance KBBE to develop and improve intensive production technology which meets economic profitability criteria 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:

Ein Yahav: past and present

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

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

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) Current Research Priorities & Areas Supported & Controlled by MOARD Chief Scientist Office The Chief Scientist Office Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Development Designated 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 Cross-border Thematic Goals Current Research Priorities & Areas Supported & Controlled by MOARD Chief Scientist Office

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) Current Research Priorities & Areas Collaborative Funding The Chief Scientist Office Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Development Major joint venture R&D of MOARD with other funding bodies

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 Other major funding bodies involved in agricultural research The Chief Scientist Office Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Development The supported projects by these funds include fundamental & industrial research not necessarily related to MOARD objectives

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

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

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

Israel as a worldwide R&D Beta Site for R&D Beta Site for Multidiciplinary Projects Global warming Energy crisis Food security Water availability

Breeding for high yielding & disease & stress tolerant cultivars Plant protection: IPM, green, friendly and sustainable Agricultural engineering novel improved harvesting technologies Animal feed: Improved novel food sources Precision agriculture: Better yields with less inputs Postharvest: Food losses and packaging Food Security Multidisciplinary R&D activities in the Food Crisis Project

Drought tolerant new cultivars Plant protection: New evolving pests and disease Novel improved greenhouse cooling technologies Improved flowering and fruit set under heat PrecisionAgriculture Multidisciplinary R&D activities in the Global Worming Project Fertigation Climate Change & Global worming

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.