Agrisrael is set to promote international and regional cooperation with countries across the Middle East in the face of the acute climate crisis and growing global food insecurity. The conference, initiated by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, was attended by ministers of agriculture, scientists and leading entrepreneurs from the world, the region and Israel. Among the participating countries: US, Australia, Bahrain, Morocco, Jordan and more.
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Oded Forer: “The whole world is currently dealing with the issues of food security and the climate crisis. In Israel, we have tremendous potential in this field, and this conference is an opportunity to showcase, share, and grow cooperation in the many areas of research and technology development where Israel is already leading the field. Moreover, this conference will set the wheels turning on cooperation with countries across our region, with similar challenges and climates.”
Ministers of Agriculture from Israel and around the world, joined by senior officials, experts, researchers, and industry innovators participate in the first international conference on aquaculture held in Israel. The three-day conference is being held in Eilat, Israel’s southernmost city, which sits on the meeting point of the desert and the Red Sea and bordering with Egypt and Jordan.
An initiative of Israel’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, in cooperation with the Ministry for the Development of the Periphery, the Negev and the Galilee, and the Ministry of Regional Cooperation, the conference welcomes more than 70 representatives from many countries, included the participation of 10 ministers and deputy ministers from around the world. The conference includes participants from the United States, Chile, Ghana, Singapore, Romania, Malta, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, the Netherlands, Australia, Iceland and more.
The conference comes following the government decision led by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, to launch a multi-year plan to develop the city of Eilat and the Eilot region as a national and international center for the production of food from the sea and the desert at a cost of approximately NIS 170 million.
Food security - a global issue
The issue of global food security will face many challenges in the coming years, including the rate of population growth, global warming and frequent climate changes, rising sea levels, and decreasing fertile areas for agricultural crops. Accordingly, a significant part of the future of global food must originate from the sea and the desert.
Accordingly, the conference is hosted by Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Minister for the Development of the Periphery, the Negev and the Galilee, Oded Forer. It is also attended by Israel’s Minister of Regional Cooperation, Isawi Frej, and with the participation by senior ministers from around the word, including H.E. Wael Bin Nasser Al Mubarak, Minister of Municipalities Affairs & Agriculture for the Kingdom of Bahrain, as well as Malta’s Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Animal Rights, Anton Refalo; Moldova’s Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry, Vladimir Bolea; Togo’s Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Rural Development, Antoine Lekpa Gbegbeni; Azerbaijan’s Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Sarvan Jafarov; and Romania’s Deputy Minister for Agriculture, Ion Gaman.
Among the panels held on the first day, is a special discussion between ministers of agriculture on the topic "The future of global food security in the light of the climate crisis".
In addition, the opening session is led by Professor Yonatan Zohar from the University of Maryland, known for his research in the field of land-based fish farming systems. Other leading speakers included Flavio Corsin of Aqua Spark, which promotes global investments in the field of sustainable aquaculture; Dr. John Buchanan, the CEO of the Center for Aquaculture Technologies; Dr. Hanna Rosenfeld, of the National Center for Mariculture; Prof. Amir Sagi from Ben Gurion University and more.