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How it
all began…
In 2002, The Negev Foundation launched Ohio-Israel Agriculture
and Rural Development Initiative. With the help of Senator
George Voinovich of Ohio, The Negev Foundation brought
together government, academic and business entities, trade
associations and growers to improve agricultural trade
and R&D ties between Ohio and Israel. The Ohio Israel
Agriculture and Rural Development Initiative is a full
scale, first-of-its-kind enterprise, vital and growing
on fronts that could not have been foreseen at its inception.
The results to date have been very gratifying, but there
is still more to do.
The Negev Foundation undertook a background study to prepare
the groundwork for the Initiative. We identified: (1) what
growers, researchers and related industries in each region
want and need, (2) where cooperative efforts can best help
address those needs and (3) where cooperative efforts can
help to address those needs, and (4) how to fund projects
for the mutual b3enefit of all and the greatest impact
of each dollar spent.
Many spin-off projects, described below, are now in the works. This Initiative
is also expandable to other U.S. states and neighboring Middle Eastern countries.
(It has already expanded to Armenia.) It is funded by the U.S. Department
of Agriculture, the government of Israel, the Ohio Department of Agriculture,
The Negev Foundation and other organizations and key individuals.
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The Initiative's Purpose and Goals
The initiative’s core purpose is to develop spin-off
projects that can largely take on a life (and
funding) of their own. These projects, The Negev Foundation
has found, support and strengthen Ohio's long-standing
agricultural tradition as well as the incredibly vibrant
high-tech agriculture prospering in Israel.
- Promote agricultural
cooperation between Ohio and Israel through
their governments, farmers, research institutions,
trade associations and private companies
- Generate commercial
exchanges and markets
- Identify potential
agribusiness opportunities for development
in both regions
- Identify and coordinate joint
research and international development
projects
Through this Initiative, The Negev Foundation is aiding
not only agricultural leaders on its home turf, Ohio, but
also insuring the viability of the southern desert region
of Israel, the Negev, which is poised to become the agricultural
backbone of the Israeli nation. Together, we make the desert
bloom. For more on this aspect of The Negev Foundation,
please see the Mission section of this website. As the
Ohio-Israel Agriculture Initiative expands, The Negev Foundation
continues to identify new opportunities and programs for
development.
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The Regions
What do Ohio and Israel share?
The Spirit of Land in Ohio and Israel
Ohio has a rich agricultural tradition and history. For
over two hundred years, Ohio has depended on its farms
to provide jobs, economic growth, access to an international
market, and a foundation on which to build other industries.
Ohio’s food and agriculture sectors employ one out
of every six people in the state (16%) and generate over
$70 billion annually. With a growing and competitive market,
Ohio needs to utilize every agricultural resource that
becomes available.
As with Ohio, agriculture remains one of Israel’s
most important industries. Israel currently grows and produces
85% of its own food, and exports 65% of its agricultural
output, more than offsetting the 15% it imports. Israel
also exports many agricultural technologies and other agricultural
inputs.
Israel has its own agricultural challenges. By 2010, Israel’s
available freshwater supplies are anticipated to decline
by over 50%, at the same time the population is projected
to nearly double from 6 to 10 million. Sixty-five percent
of the fresh water currently used for agriculture will
not be available. Drip-irrigation and brackish water technologies
are innovations that originated in Israel's Negev desert
region to address future water and land problems. The development
of crops that consume less water is vital to the country’s
agricultural sector and to Israel’s future.
Israel and Ohio stand to prosper from the new technological
access, international marketing and agribusiness development
of the Initiative. The Negev Foundation is dedicated to
produce agriculture partnerships to benefit both regions
economically, and to advance the innovative, practical
application of agriculture technologies.
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The Agricultural Scientists of Ohio and Israel
Both Ohio
and Israel are home to world-class academic
and government agricultural research institutions. The
Hebrew University and Ohio State University are already
frequent partners in the Initiative projects.
A world leader in agricultural
research and development, Ohio State University's School of Agriculture
offers The Negev Foundation access to state of the art
technology and acclaimed experts in the field of agriculture.
Local and state agricultural departments are dispersed
throughout the state and also assist Negev's international
efforts.
Background Study
The Negev Foundation completed a preliminary
background study of the needs and opportunities
in both regions, and the practicability of an Ohio-Israel
Agriculture Initiative. After this first look, we expanded into the
specific project areas described below. The dynamic
nature of the Initiative requires Negev to constantly
evaluate new opportunities for cooperation as well
as funding, based on the needs and opportunities of both regions.
The Negev Foundation continually seeks new openings
for discussions with interested parties.
Advisory Committee
A bi-national steering committee oversees
the Initiative. The Negev Foundation brought together
growers, government, academia and extension, business,
and trade associations, to aid the Initiative's growth and identify
new directions. As the Ohio-Israel Agriculture
Initiative matures and expands, the need for outside
advice has grown. Committee responsibilities include
overall direction and oversight of specific joint R&D and trade activities.
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Current Projects
Specific Projects
- Soy
- Ohio-Israel Joint Agricultural R&D Fund
Ohio exports
to Israel
- Ohio feeder calf exports to
Israel
- Ohio hardwoods exports to Israel
- Ohio honey exports
to Israel
- Ohio pet food exports to Israel
Israeli exports to Ohio
- Automatic calf
feeder/feeding monitoring system
- Mini dairy processing equipment
Joint International Research
and Development
- Turf grass improvement/playing
field engineering
- Drip
irrigation
- Aquaculture
- Food security/ag
biosecurity
- Organic pesticide
- A model Israeli commercial
greenhouse in Ohio, for joint R&D
- Phytomonitoring
- Other International Research
and Development
Joint
Ventures
- International
agriculture development
- International Technology
Transfer
- Private-label
food processing
in Israel
Exchanges and Exhibitions
- Student & farmer exchange programs
- IsraFood-Hotex
Trade Show, Tel
Aviv, Nov 22-24, 2004
- Ohio State
University’s 2004 Farm Science
Review, Sep 21-23, ‘04
- International
Workshops
Funding
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