In this article, we’ll delve into Israel’s agriculture history, examine how government policies have exacerbated its success, and outline some of the finest Israeli AgriTech enterprises and achievements. Written by: Harry Stewart for Sar-El Tours

In this article, we’ll delve into Israel’s agriculture history, examine how government policies have exacerbated its success, and outline some of the finest Israeli AgriTech enterprises and achievements. 

How Israeli Agriculture Technology is Changing The World For The Better

Israel has a long and proud history of innovation, from biblical times to the modern-day.  

Dubbed the ‘startup nation,’ this technological powerhouse boasts more science-related startups per capita than any other nation on earth. Despite housing a mere 9 million inhabitants, its venture capital funding is second only to the United States.

And while world-changing innovations like the firewall, the USB flash drive and the PillCam (a capsule endoscopy) are among the most celebrated achievements, it’s Israel’s advanced Agricultural Technology that could be the key to a better world. 

Dubbed “AgTech” or “agritech” by those in the know, this ever-evolving sector has revolutionized how we harvest, prepare, package, and distribute food. Israel sits at the forefront of the field and will continue finding innovative solutions to strengthen world food security—one of the most pressing problems facing the future of humanity. 

And to finish up, we’ll show you how you can visit Israel yourself to see the miracle of agriculture technology first hand. 

With a sparse arid landscape to call home, Israelis have always needed to find innovative new ways to cultivate crops. Some two-thirds of the nation classifies as arid or semi-arid, and much of the soil quality is poor. Natural water resources are scarce, and precipitation is virtually unheard of during the scorching summer months. 

As vast distances separate Israel from other vital agricultural markets, its people have long been left to fend for their own. 

From early farming practices to the high-tech solutions of the modern age, Israel has undertaken a tremendous agricultural transformation to become a world leader in the field. And in the process, it has fortified national food security, established lucrative export markets, and revolutionized agriculture and water management on a global scale. 

A great deal of Israeli’s agricultural success is tied to its history. 

From the beginning, Biblical influences, evolving ideologies, and government initiatives have shaped Israel’s agricultural transformation. To understand how the miracle of Israeli agriculture technology has become a modern-day reality, we must first delve into the past.  

The Jewish people have had strong ties to agriculture since Biblical times. 

Tiling the ground and rearing cattle were everyday tasks in the ancient era. Upon gaining possession of the Promised Land, the Israelites excelled at the art of agriculture and made it the basis of their society and religion.

The Jewish lunisolar calendar is inextricably linked to the land. Major festivals and events coincide with the first fruits of the season, while six key agricultural periods divide the year. For six months, from the middle of Tishrei to halfway through Nisan, early Israelites focused their efforts on cultivation and spent the remainder harvesting fruits. 

Irrigation from mountainous streams enriched the soil, and the application of manure fertilized crops. In the days of Solomon, some 20,000 measures of wheat were shipped to Hiram in exchange for timber, while the Tyrians traded grain for wares. Figs, pomegranates, grapes, and olives were all abundant in Biblical times. 

Numerous verses in the Bible govern early Israeli agriculture, ensuring crops could be shared fairly among those most in need. Here we present two examples: 

A passerby was at liberty to eat any quantity of corn or grapes, but he was not permitted to carry away any (Deuteronomy 23:24-25; Matthew 12:1).

A forgotten sheaf in the field was to be left also for the poor. (Leviticus 19:9-10; Deuteronomy 24:19.)

An extended period of diaspora saw Israel’s agricultural identity diminish. With the Jewish people spread over the globe, traditional farming practices were at risk of being forgotten. 

However, in the late 19th century, a re-emergence occurred with the modern Zionist movement of Central and Eastern Europe. Socialist influences from Russia helped re-establish the Land of Israel as a Jewish nation with farming at the forefront and agricultural excellence as a national mission. 

Inspired by the Zionist movement, young European immigrants came to cultivate the land, a monumental task fraught with hardship. Diseases such as typhoid, malaria, and cholera were rampant, causing many to succumb to an early demise. The terrain was equally unforgiving—the Judaean Mountains were rugged and rocky, the upper Jordan Valley a treacherous swamp, and the entire south a barren, desert-like wasteland. 

Work began on constructing terraces, clearing rocky fields, cleansing salty soil, draining swamplands, and widespread re-forestation. Despite having minimal agricultural experience, a strong commitment to ideology and extreme perseverance saw these early pioneers redefine the inhospitable landscape.

The Emergence of the Kibbutzim and Moshavim

Establishing farmlands across such vast and forbidding terrain required enormous capital. Inspired by socialist Zionist philosophies, the agricultural pioneers of the early 20th century devised a framework to obtain the necessary resources: farming co-operatives known as the kibbutz. 

These egalitarian institutions adhered to a communal ideology and aspired to become fully self-sufficient. A central governing body pooled resources from every member, each of whom was entitled to equal compensation regardless of profession. A centralized, future-focused planning system helped overcome hardship by defining which farmers could grow what crops and where.  

In the same era, Labour Zionists devised a similar system known as the moshav, which emphasized community labor. Each moshavnik family maintained its own property and tended to its own fields, undertaking the commercialization of produce in a co-operative approach. 

Both systems were fundamental to the history of agriculture in Israel, forming tight-knit rural communities focused on equality and cooperation. And each remains at the forefront today—together, they account for 76% of the nation’s fresh food output. 

Upon achieving independence in 1948, Israel inherited a sophisticated system of infrastructure from Britain. A high-quality railway and road system enabled Israelis to transport produce around the country with great speed and efficiency.  

Former British networks also played a crucial role. The Empire Marketing Board, for example, gave Israel a platform to export produce throughout the Commonwealth. 

Established in 1929, the Citrus Board proved particularly pivotal in expanding Israel’s citrus fruit market. Local co-operatives grew large quantities of fruit through irrigated orchids and sold it to the Board, who would then export the produce to Britain and beyond. By the 1930s, the tiny nation of Israel had become the fourth largest citrus fruit exporter in the world. 

The British Empire also left a robust medical and educational system, with a life expectancy some 20 years higher than the regional average. Despite many immigrants lacking agricultural experience, the highly educated Israeli populous had the expertise to succeed.

An Unwavering Government Commitment To Agriculture 

The Israeli government has held a steadfast commitment to developing the agricultural industry from day one, an approach fundamental to the country’s success.

For the first few decades after independence, around one-third of Israel’s parliamentary members came from kibbutz or moshav communities. Top-level government decision-makers embraced the ideology of promoting agriculture as a national mission. 

The Labor Party, which represents farmers and workers, held power for almost 30 years (1948 to 1970) and worked tirelessly to promote agricultural interests. Even the country’s first Prime Minister, David Ben-Gurion, was a former farmer, as was approximately half of his cabinet. 

In the 1950s and 60s, Ben-Gurion allocated a whopping 30% of his national budget towards agriculture and water infrastructure. One project of particular importance was a 250 km pipeline from the Sea of Galilee to the Negev desert, bringing much-needed water to the settlements of the arid region. Enormous sums of money were thrown into farming and agricultural research, further transforming the southern deserts into fertile agricultural lands. 

Ben-Gurion’s government later institutionalized the Citrus Board, effectively giving it exclusive control of the industry. It was a controversial move at the time, but the gamble paid off. Exports rose to 1 million tons by 1967, accounting for 95% of Israel’s entire export market. 

In the 1950s and 60s, the Ministry of Agriculture ran an agriculture investment grant program, handing out vast sums of cash for greenhouse, land preparation, and farming initiatives. In the same era, the government made more large-scale investments in electrical, transport, and logistics infrastructure. Water reservoirs and road networks followed, allowing struggling farmers to flourish. 

In the 1970s, the Israeli government assigned a portion of the country to grow vegetables. Market research found these had excellent export potential, and the program became a resounding success. 

Israeli politicians made shrewd decisions to invest in upcoming subsectors and divest away from weaker ones. Funding was cut from floriculture, for example, when cheap Kenyan labor made local production unviable—the shekels shifted towards more profitable products like vegetables and tree crops instead. 

The Israeli government’s unwavering commitment to developing its agriculture sector continues into the modern era. In the 1990s, Prime Minister Shimon Peres prioritized promoting Israeli produce on the world stage. Later, in 2001, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon increased funding to the water sector substantially. His large scale construction of desalination plants and aquifers in the 2000s became fundamental to the success of the sector today. 

A World Leader In Research and Development

Although history and governance have been fundamental to Israel’s agricultural prowess, one mustn’t discount the role of research and development. 

Israel has invested massively over the years into the state-run Agricultural Research Organization - Volcani Center. Its goal is to serve the farmer and the industry as a whole, developing cutting edge technologies to solve real-world issues. 

Some 200 Volcani scientists, who receive generous salary packages to attract the brightest in the field, are evaluated on how applicable their research is to the industry. Scientists work closely with farmers to develop innovative solutions to pressing real-world problems, and there’s an omnipresent focus on applied research. The Volcani Center has established bespoke research projects to resolve everything from optimizing jojoba farming practices to engineering unsweetened varieties of dates. 

The six core research disciplines at the Volcani Center are:

In 2015, it launched the Gilat Center for Arid and Semi-Arid Agricultural Research to find solutions for Israel’s limited water resources in the face of climate change. Agriculture in arid conditions, reversing desertification, wastewater irrigation, and freshwater aquaculture are among its core objectives. The center also develops new crop strains and genetically modified animals that can better adapt to the hostile climates of the future.

The Volcani Center’s research and development initiatives have enabled Israelis to grow crops in the desert by turning once inhospitable landscapes into verdant breadbaskets. And it will continue seeking new technology solutions for the agricultural industry in the face of climate change.

Israeli Enterprises In The Agriculture Technology Field

We’ve examined how government initiatives have bolstered Israel’s agricultural prowess—but what about the private sector? 

The highly entrepreneurial nation of Israel is awash with private enterprises that have a keen interest in Agriculture Technology (AgTech). Considered a nascent industry not long ago, the AgTech sector is now buzzing with opportunity. Offshoots such as Food Tech and Water Tech, in particular, have been garnering impressive investments in recent years. 

Israel’s meteoric rise in these upcoming industries can largely be attributed to two factors.

First, Israel is a traditional hub for technological innovation. The density of startups in Israel is on par with the San Francisco Bay Area—the country has a high proportion of patents per capita and scores of developers vying for the attention of tech-savvy investors. Israelis are a creative bunch—the national dish of cuscus came about due to a drop in rice availability. 

Second, Israel already has extensive experience in the agritech sector. Government agricultural grants get handed out willy-nilly, and research and development comes part of the national psyche. Meanwhile, a precarious geopolitical situation prompts Israelis to develop more self-sufficient farming practices, while its harsh environment turns the focus towards food and water security. 

Every three years, the country hosts Agritech Israel, an international agriculture technology exhibition that attracts thousands of delegates from dozens of countries worldwide. Desertification, water deficiency, climate change and extreme weather are common topics of discussion, and participants range from government entities to entrepreneurs, investors, farmers, and researchers. The next conference is planned to take place in Tel Aviv in May 2021 , COVID-19 permitting. 

Israeli food AgTech startups acquired a collective $103 million in equity investment back in 2018, on par with larger nations like Australia and India. 

Some 350 AgTech startups entered the fray in the last decade, with an average of 37 new startups each year since 2014. Startup Nation Finder reports there are currently over 400 AgTech startups in Israel, collectively raising $300 million in 2019. 

The growing trend points towards an industry-wide resurgence driven by robust global demand for clean, efficient, and sustainable technology. With a well-established reputation for excellence in fields like robotics, science, AI, and software, it’s little wonder Israeli startups have bitten into a generous slice of the food tech pie. 

And the demand for these technologies is only set to skyrocket with the onset of climate change. Rising temperatures and accelerated desertification will put tremendous strain on the world’s food and water supply. In the future, AgTech could become among the most important industries on earth.

While food tech was once constrained to dehydrated hiking rations and decaffeinated iced mochas, it’s come a long way since then. Exciting fields like stem-cell research, tissue engineering, cellular agriculture, and nanotechnology are promising to revolutionize the multi-billion dollar food industry, offering compelling solutions for our food security woes. 

With proven prowess in technological innovation, Israeli startups are tempting investors and policymakers with a dizzying array of ideas. And to give you a taste of what Israeli food-tech startups are cooking, we’ve compiled a list of the leading players in the market today. 

Hargol began exporting its grasshopper-infused protein powder to North America in 2017; it sources the mineral-rich insect from a commercial-grade farm in Israel. Insect farming is significantly more sustainable than livestock rearing, and the company is continuing to find new ways to optimize the process.

Some questions people are asking about Israels' Agriculture Tech Industry

What is Israel's agriculture technology industry? Israel's agriculture technology industry is a vibrant and innovative sector that is focused on developing new technologies and techniques to improve the productivity and efficiency of agriculture.

Why is Israel a leader in agriculture technology? Israel's success in the agriculture technology industry is due to several factors, including its climate, strong research and development infrastructure, and commitment to using technology to improve agriculture.

What are some of the key innovations in Israel's agriculture technology industry? Some key innovations in Israel's agriculture technology industry include advanced irrigation technologies, precision agriculture techniques, and biotechnology to improve crop yields and quality.

What are the main challenges facing Israel's agriculture technology industry? One of the main challenges facing Israel's agriculture technology industry is the country's limited water resources. As a result, Israeli farmers and technology companies have had to develop innovative solutions to make the most efficient use of water.

How is Israel's agriculture technology industry contributing to the global agriculture sector? Israel's agriculture technology industry is making a significant contribution to the global agriculture sector by developing innovative technologies and techniques that are helping to increase the productivity and sustainability of agriculture around the world.

Transforming Israel's Desert: Innovative Agriculture | FULL EPISODE | Insights on TBN Israel

From Irrigation to Precision Agriculture: The Cutting-Edge Technologies Developed in Israel

Israel is known for its advanced water technology, particularly in the areas of desalination and wastewater treatment. Due to the country's limited water resources, Israeli researchers and companies have developed a range of solutions for maximizing water efficiency and utilization.

Water technology is a key area of innovation and research in Israel. Due to the country's limited water resources, Israeli researchers and companies have developed a range of solutions for maximizing water efficiency and utilization.

Israel is known for its advanced water technology, particularly in the areas of desalination and wastewater treatment. The country's Sorek desalination plant is the largest desalination plant in the world, using reverse osmosis technology to produce 624,000 cubic meters of drinking water per day.

The primary innovative water technology that Israel is known for is desalination. The country has implemented advanced desalination techniques, such as reverse osmosis, to turn seawater into drinking water. This has allowed Israel to overcome its limited water resources and meet the needs of its growing population.

To make up for water scarcity in the dry parts of Israel, the country has implemented a range of water conservation measures. These include low-flow fixtures, wastewater recycling for agricultural use, and precision irrigation systems.

The technology used to extract freshwater from ocean water is called desalination. There are several different desalination techniques, but the most common method is reverse osmosis. This involves forcing seawater through a membrane with tiny pores, which filters out salt and other impurities to produce clean, drinkable water.

In addition to implementing water conservation measures and investing in water technology research and development, Israel has also formed partnerships with other countries to share knowledge and expertise in this area. For example, Israel has partnered with the United States to develop advanced water treatment technologies and share best practices in water management.

The success of Israel's water technology strategies has attracted global attention, with other countries looking to replicate its successes. In recent years, several countries have turned to Israel for guidance and assistance in developing their own water technology solutions.

One key factor in Israel's success in water technology is its strong ecosystem of startups and researchers working in this field. The country has a thriving startup culture, with many companies focused on water technology and management. This has allowed Israel to quickly develop and commercialize new technologies, helping to drive innovation and growth in the sector.

In conclusion, Israel's approach to water technology and management has been highly successful. The country has overcome its limited water resources through innovative solutions and a focus on research and development. As the world faces increasing challenges related to water availability, Israel's experience and expertise in this area may provide valuable insights and solutions for other countries.

Questions that people are asking about Israel's Water Technology

What makes Israel's water technology industry unique? 

One of the key factors that make Israel's water technology industry unique is the country's climate and geography. Israel is a water-scarce country, and its water technology industry has had to develop innovative solutions to address this challenge. This has led to a strong focus on technologies and techniques related to water conservation, water reuse, and desalination.

What are some of the key innovations and technologies developed in Israel's water sector? 

Some of the key innovations and technologies developed in Israel's water sector include advanced irrigation technologies, desalination plants, and wastewater treatment systems. Israeli companies have also developed innovative water-saving technologies for the home, such as low-flow showerheads and faucets.

How does Israel's water technology industry contribute to the country's economy and society? 

Israel's water technology industry is a major contributor to the country's economy. The industry employs thousands of people and generates billions of dollars in revenue. In addition to its economic impact, Israel's water technology industry also plays a key role in addressing the country's water challenges, helping to ensure that all Israelis have access to clean, safe, and affordable water.

How is Israel addressing its challenges with water scarcity and access to clean water? 

Israel is addressing its challenges with water scarcity and access to clean water through a combination of innovative technologies, efficient water management, and public-private partnerships. The country has developed a number of large-scale desalination plants that provide a significant portion of its water supply, and it has implemented water conservation measures to reduce water waste.

What opportunities and challenges does Israel's water technology industry face in the future? 

One of the key opportunities for Israel's water technology industry in the future is the growing global demand for water-saving technologies and solutions. As water scarcity becomes an increasingly pressing issue around the world, Israeli companies are well-positioned to capitalize on this trend and expand their operations globally. However, the industry also faces challenges, such as competition from other countries and the need to adapt to changing regulations and market conditions.

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