Jerusalem, 16 March, 2022 (TPS) — Israel’s Minister of Agriculture Oded Forer and the Minister for Climate Change and the Environment of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri signed on Wednesday a Memorandum of Understanding for exceptional agricultural cooperation between the two countries.
Through the new agreement, Israel’s existing agricultural cooperation with the UAE will be expanded, in particular with regard to the commercialization of knowledge and the transfer of advanced agricultural technology from Israel in the UAE, which is expected to significantly strengthen the Israeli agro-tech industry.
As part of the agreement, Israeli-UAE working groups will be established for the first time, and will promote joint projects, while integrating private companies and bodies in the private sector, both in Israel and in the UAE. The joint teams will address the continued stability of food production in the two countries against the background of climate change, maintaining food security, and development and technological-agricultural innovation.
The Ministry of Agriculture noted that Israel is considered an agro-tech incubator, developing some of the most innovative solutions for growing food in a changing climate.
Furthermore, Israel has rich experience in establishing agriculture in arid and semi-arid regions, and it ranks first in the world in terms of water recycling and its uses for agriculture, and is considered a world-renowned developer of solutions that incorporate recycled water in intensive agriculture environments.
Through the agreement, Israel will be able to support the UAE’s efforts to promote a regular supply of fresh food, food security, and help establish local agriculture adapted to the unique weather conditions there.
The MOU also refers to plant protection, and mutual recognition of regulations and standards that will allow import and export of fresh agricultural produce on a regular basis, and ensure compliance with sanitary and phytosanitary aspects while preventing the transfer of pests and diseases, which could harm local agriculture in the short and long term.
The State of Israel emphasizes international development to fight desertification through cooperative programs for training, project development and research.
Among Israel’s areas of expertise are water recycling, water management, irrigation, agriculture in arid environments, soil erosion, desalinization, mitigation and adaptation to climate change, and afforestation.
Extensive R&D and decades of hands-on experience in dry-lands conditions enable Israel to help other countries.
Israel and the UAE have signed multiple agreements on several levels in the bit more than a year since the signing of the Abraham Accords.
The United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain shortly after it, announced in August 2020 the normalization of relations with Israel. The agreements were signed on the White House lawns on September 15, 2020.
Sudan was next to announce the normalization of relations with Israel in October 2020, Israel’s third peace treaty in two months.
Morocco came shortly after in December 2020.