Israeli agriculture was one of the cornerstones of the Zionist enterprise, even before the establishment of the state.
Over the years it has become one of the leading industries in the economy, aligning with the most advanced countries in the world.
When it comes to such a young country (still) it is no less a miracle, and for the record - today international experts come here to learn how to do it right and to witness the miracle up close.
No less than 90 percent of the fresh produce consumed in Israel comes from local produce.
Along with the pride in this figure and the working methods that have made Israel a technological power in agriculture, those involved in the field, as in the rest of the world, face many challenges due to demographic changes, economic changes and above all - the climate crisis.
"Agriculture all over the world is different from other industries for several reasons," explains Amit Ben-Zur, CEO of the Yesodot Institute, in an interview. "First, it is the one that produces the food for us.
In the end without food we will not be able to sustain industry, develop high-tech, run health and education systems.
It is agriculture that produces the basis for our entire existence.
"The second point that makes the industry so thinking is that agriculture is based on natural resources like land, water and climate, and it is different from other industries in that it has a lot of external benefits or benefits, beyond food supply. Agriculture produces open spaces for us in the urban age, it is responsible For the recycling of almost all sewage in localities and preserves the protection of the environment and the air within the densely populated areas. A share in the product itself. "
"Consumption of dairy products is a way to finance the periphery, entire families," Photo: Eric Sultan
A particularly important tier of agriculture is being responsible for the food security of each country.
This term, it is important to emphasize, does not deal with the source from which the food comes but with the concern that all residents have food available, healthy, accessible and one that will allow them to live an active and healthy life, and a stable supply over the years.
"In order to achieve real food security, each country must intelligently determine for itself what the mix is between its two food sources," says Ben-Zur. "One is domestic production and the other - imports. Geopolitical and demographic, sets for itself the right mix for it.
"The term 'food security', which deals with the people themselves, with the low incomes, that the state wants to ensure will have the basis for subsistence in terms of food, should be distinguished. "The challenge is to base this mix on data, on informed and responsible professional analysis, and not on the assumption that 'it will be okay.'
Ben-Zur explains that the right mix requires constant risk management.
"Take for example our new partner - the UAE - where there is a special office for food security management. They know they can not supply all the food in self-production due to climate and territorial problems. What they do in the Emirates and Saudi Arabia, which are rich countries, is to grow crops Purchase elsewhere.In recent years countries like Russia, China, Japan, England and more, understand that they need to build this mix for themselves wisely and build plans accordingly.It is difficult to point to a particular formula because each has its own considerations, but what matters is a well-established balance And intelligent. "
Has the world food system managed to develop resistance to the effects of global warming or to the effects of the climate crisis?
"Unfortunately, this is one of the major systems affected and will continue to be affected by the climate crisis. The global food system is very centralized and fragile and in recent years we are in fact in two opposite processes: one "Can grow things that have not been successful so far) and as a result a decrease in the food supply that the system can produce; on the other hand - the population has grown, probably in Israel which is one of the most developed countries with the highest population growth - and the demand for food is growing."
Can you point to any change in attitude on the part of the countries, in the face of the challenges of the climate crisis?
"The countries with the highest proliferation rates are developing countries that raise their standard of living and the demand for certain foods in them becomes similar to the demand for food in developed countries, which greatly affects the types of food the public wants to consume. The two opposite moves mentioned. The climate has caused countries in the last five years - even before the corona - to recalculate a path and understand that resilience is never necessary and that a scenario where there will be no current supply should also be considered.
"This is doubly true of Israel, which will not exactly be the first to receive the food that Russia, for example, exports, when a global crisis occurs. In this respect, Israel must examine not only what it produces in Israel but also its sources of import We can import from them but also in five years.
"The country must also take into account that there is a scenario whereby one of these countries will be hit by the climate crisis in such a way that we can not import from it or the price it will demand will rise dramatically, and this will require us to produce other sources of imports of all those crops."
The challenge: to prepare for the crisis
According to Ben-Zur, who heads the institute he heads, is researching the development of the agriculture industry and holding future scenarios, the main problem in Israel is the lack of a strategic plan for food security.
"The food system in Israel has not received a comprehensive and inclusive look at the government level," he says. From a very old-fashioned and somewhat naive perception that it would be okay, that we could always import food from anywhere and when necessary Israeli agriculture could produce everything that was needed.
"But forget that agriculture is not an accordion. It cannot be shrunk over the years - to reduce agricultural land, to reduce the number of farmers, investments, research, development and knowledge - and then in one moment, when we need it, to expand it at once."
As part of the institute's work, we examined the amount of food that will be needed in Israel in 2050, depending on the population.
First, it is estimated that there will be 16 million people in the country, an increase of 75 percent compared to today, and the conclusions are certainly thought-provoking.
"If there is no real plan," Ben-Zur explains, "even the food groups we manage to provide for ourselves today will not be available in 20 years. The state will need much more food. Even if we do the unbelievable and the whole population will change their eating patterns and start eating According to the nutritionists' recommendations - which is very far from reality - even then we will need much more agriculture in almost all food groups.
"In addition, because of the climate crisis, we will probably need agriculture to enter crops that it currently does not have enough of. One example is the grain group. Today Israel imports 93 percent of its grain consumption. We rely on other countries and if they are in trouble because of the climate crisis, we will have to produce Any alternative.
Another example is fruits and vegetables that are dietary substitutes for what we get today from animals - especially the whole protein issue - and today we do not grow them.
It will be necessary to look at targeting some farmers to grow them when a problem arises in this area due to the climate crisis.
We must understand that agriculture is a national infrastructure. "
Control and supervision of each liter
One of the significant areas in the agriculture industry is dairy products. According to data from the Association of Dairy Producers in Israel, which unites about 700 dairy farms, 1.5 billion liters of milk are produced in Israel each year, from which about 42,000 kg of hard cheeses, 109 thousand kg of white and cottage cheeses, 197 million liters of yogurts and delicacies and 465 million liters of milk for drinking and milk drinks. In Israel, there are 709 cowsheds in 165 kibbutzim, 13 agricultural schools and 531 moshavim. 57.6 percent of the milk is produced in kibbutz dairy farms and 41.5 percent in family dairy farms, most in moshavim.
Dairy workers are struggling with market forces that allow imports that could hurt their livelihoods, and as with other crops in agriculture, this is also a livelihood for tens of thousands of families.
"The dairy farm and almost the entire value chain of its products are produced in the country - field crops, food centers, cowsheds, cooperatives of trucks that transport the milk to dairies and then distribution lines and chains," explains Lior Simcha, CEO of the Dairy Producers Association. The shelf supports all the small and large businesses, service providers and the entire envelope along the way.
These are the people at the dairies in Tel Yosef that most of the workers there are from Beit She'an, and the dairies in Netivot where people from Netivot and Ofakim work there.
In one word - the periphery.
"Consumption of local dairy products is our way of financing the periphery, the people there, the farmers and the families, the workers. Every liter imported imports invalidates our entire local value chain, and in its place enjoys those on the chain in Poland, Turkey or any country from which they import." .
The Israeli dairy farm is one of the leaders in the world - in technology, output, nutrition, genetics, fertility, in almost all values.
"The farm here is a planned farm and everything works in open source and sharing of knowledge and a lot of energy that passes between the farmers," explains Simcha. IoT (Internet connection) at the milking parlor.
"We have state-of-the-art technologies that allow all data to be measured and monitored constantly, to meet the highest standards and ensure the quality and integrity of every liter. Control of the entire milk production process. "
"Spearhead"
The northernmost barn in the country is located in Kibbutz Ortal, and hundreds of barns are spread through the Upper Galilee, the Jordan Valley and the Western Galilee to the Jordan Valley, including across the Green Line, to the Arava - Yotvata, Tamar Regional Council, Elifaz and Grofit.
"If you turn on a projector in every barn and a skimmer, you will see all the borders of Israel," says Simcha. The cowsheds remain right in the front. Everyone leaves except for them.
"The more we rely on imports and dairy farms that are not made in the country, the more we will be affected by food security and rising and falling world prices. We must not rely on foreign countries and imports. We can only rely on ourselves."
Ephri Reikin, Director of Raw Milk and Producers Relations at Tnuva, also emphasizes the paramount importance of the quality of milk produced in Israel in the industry: The milk, its quality and its components, and go hand in hand with it until you reach the required quality. "The temperature, the acidity, the appearance, etc. Everything is checked at the entrance to the dairy and only then is the material processed. At the same time, the quality of the milk and the hygiene of the material and the cows are measured, and as good as they are, there are reward levels to encourage producers to produce the best quality milk."
What is the confidence level of dairy farmers in the industry?
"Those who remain in the industry today are those who did not go after livelihood adventures and did not look for exits or all sorts of tricks to make a quick profit. All they want is to make a living and own the business. Like all agriculture, the industry is threatened by various types of reforms. More by importing.The dairy industry is in fact in arrangements with the state to ensure its continued existence as a planned industry.
The cowherds live from arrangement to arrangement, and the same is true for the next four years.
Since the barn requires a high level of investment, this range is quite short and you can never say there is complete confidence, but it is better than nothing.
"Tnuva supports the dairy industry as a planned industry and wants to maintain its stability and that of the dairymen themselves. We see them as partners in everything, and do everything to continue to deal with them in a way that will ensure their continued existence and livelihood. Tnuva is based mainly on local raw materials .
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