U.S. and Israeli officials mark 45 years of agricultural R&D cooperation

On April 9^th, U.S. and Israeli officials convened at the U.S. National Arboretum for a seminar and dinner reception marking the 45^th anniversary of BARD, the US-Israel Binational Agricultural Research and Development Fund. The seminar featured experts who discussed promising prospects on topics related to agricultural R&D, including smart-farming utilizing AI and IoT, mitigating post-harvest food loss, water security in agriculture, and agro-energy and photovoltaics. Participants recognized the importance of international ties in promoting sustainable solutions for agricultural challenges, and of interdisciplinary R&D that brings together experts from a wide range of expertise.

From left to right: Simon Y. Liu USDA-ARS Administrator, Mr. Avi Dichter The Israeli Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Prof. Yoram Kapulnik, Executive Director, BARD, Michael Herzog Ambassador of Israel to the U.S.

Ambassador of Israel to the U.S., Michael Herzog: ″The time has come to recognize agricultural security as an integral component of national security. In the realm of food security, we face many challenges. No one country can confront these challenges alone, and we must pool our scientific resources to find solutions. The longstanding partnership between Israel and the U.S. is a crucial foundation for this mission.″

The Israeli Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr. Avi Dichter: ″We are working on long-term planning. Our policy is targeting food security. We all know and understand that maintaining and providing food security is a necessity that cannot be neglected. We see our agriculture as one of the pillars that must be safeguarded.″

Prof. Yoram Kapulnik, Executive Director, BARD: ″Today both the U.S. and Israel are facing many similar challenges in agricultural practice. Our vision is to catalyze mission-oriented research and collaborative innovation in agriculture, food, and nutrition, transforming global future food systems with more sustainable approaches. We aim to do so by supporting innovative agricultural research and training the next generation across a broad range of agriculture, food, and nutrition-related topics through our fellowship programs. We are also looking into ways we can accelerate innovation in agriculture by bringing together academic leaders and industry experts.″

Over its 45 years of operation, BARD has invested $345 million in over 1,450 research projects and fellowships. These have generated a multitude of agricultural innovations, practices and patents, impacting economies, industries, academia and human health in both countries and beyond, with a high return on investment.