The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Oded Forer, together with the Chief Scientist of the Ministry of Agriculture, Dr. Michal Levy, toured the Hebrew University’s Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment on Thursday, October 21, 2021 and heard from the leading researchers about the future of agriculture in the world. This was the first official visit by the Minister in an academic institution. Prof. Asher Cohen, President of the University accompanied the Minister as did Prof. Benny Chefetz, the Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture, and Yossi Gal, the University’s Vice President for Advancement and Public Relations and previously Director General of the Foreign Ministry, who exchanged positive memories from a joint meeting during the period when he was Israel’s Ambassador to France. Also accompanying the tour were researchers from the Faculty, who presented their developments in the fields of creating food in the laboratory (for example meat and milk substitutes), increasing efficiency in growth of crops and animals (adjustment to heat), intelligent use of water and additional issues meant to ensure efficient use of resources, survivability and creation of quality food in a challenging period of climate change.
Prof. Asher Cohen, President of the Hebrew University, said in the course of the tour: “The Faculty of Agriculture does research not only in what we know as traditional agriculture, but also in agri-tech – developing the coming technologies in the world of agriculture that are related to industry in an effort to solve the existential challenges of the earth that greatly occupy those who determine policy and scientists. We propose the future. Your visit, Minister of Agriculture, and the ties with the Ministry of Agriculture are very important to us as an impetus for our work.”
Minister Oded Forer said: “The Faculty of Agriculture plays a central role in the vision of developing agriculture. In my position as Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development and with the map of opportunities that exists today, the University has great importance. Not everyone understands the meaning of the term innovation – the goal is to provide better abilities for the world. Unfortunately, the Government did not invest in the matter in recent years and discounted the importance of the need to push this matter forward. In Israel we have good research institutions and we have the abilities. In particular during this period when our economy is growing and becoming stronger – the Faculty is the coming engine in the ability to solve the problems of food and environment that are becoming more difficult and are advancing more rapidly.”
“We are going to invest much more in this field”, the Minister said, “in an effort to create and turn the country into a place that will provide solutions to the coming challenges. I want you to view me as a partner in this effort.”
Prof. Benny Chefetz, Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, said: “The visit by the Minister is very significant. It is important that those who determine policy should be involved in the focus of the work in the field. The Hebrew University is known as the leader in Israel and one of the leaders in the world in the fields of food-tech and agri-tech, therefore the visit by the Minister to the campus is important so that we can bring tidings to the world in the creation of food in the face of the challenges of the changing climate.”
