When talking about Israeli agriculture, it's easy to let the country’s agronomic prowess steal the show. This is understandable. After all, when thinking about food insecurity, it’s appealing to consider agricultural production as the only meaningful bottom line.
However, considering Israel’s agricultural experience through this lens alone overlooks invaluable lessons from Israel’s agricultural revolution, specifically the proactive efforts to use agriculture as a means to achieve income security through a market-driven approach.
We were afforded a welcome opportunity to discuss this key facet of the Israeli experience during Empower Africa’s event focused on whether business can drive food security and poverty eradication in Africa.
Speaking alongside Shanni Srivastava (Region Head of East Africa, Middle East & IOI at UPL), our Executive Director - Danielle Abraham - elaborated on the role of business in Israel’s agricultural development. This included an overview of Israel’s dual strategy (simultaneously promoting food security through the domestic market and pursuing income security through export markets), the role of farmer organisations, the importance of marketing boards as a mechanism to strengthen exports, and the roles played by the Israeli government and industry.
For anyone interested in learning more about this crucial lesson from the Israeli agricultural experience, a recording of the event is available via the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2pMQR4tTGw
