Progress 09/01/09 to 08/31/11
Outputs
OUTPUTS: The Ohio-Israel Agriculture Initiative USDA funded project began in June of 2004 as a unique program to strengthen the agricultural connections between Ohio and Israel's farmers, trade organizations, businessmen, researchers, and educational & government entities. The project, a one-of-a-kind endeavor, is advised by a bi-national committee made up of business development & agribusiness leaders, agriculture & food technology experts, farmers, academia & extension professionals, agriculture association representatives, rural development experts, Ohio Dept. of Agriculture, Ohio Dept. of Development, Israel & U.S. Embassy officials, and Negev Foundation staff. The goals of the program are to increase agricultural ties between Ohio and Israel; develop joint R&D activities; foster trade; establish an active and meaningful relationship between representatives of the Ohio and Israeli agriculture, agricultural research and agri-business sectors; identify new agriculture-related opportunities; identify and introduce potential investors to agricultural innovators in both regions; expand market access in both regions; and identify specific agriculture exchange, technology transfer & other opportunities. At the conclusion of this reporting period, the Initiative produced verifiable outcomes towards achieving its goals. The Initiative was especially effective at meetings its goals of fostering trade, promoting technology transfers & collaborations, and facilitating communication between Israeli & Ohio agricultural stakeholders. Many trade projects were conceived, developed, or facilitated resulting in further trade of agricultural goods between Ohio and Israel that since the inception of the program reached more than $9-12 million. The Initiative's various projects were well publicized in the U.S. and Israeli media. During the reporting period, the Initiative had an Israel booth at10 tradeshows and conferences in Ohio, presenting 32 Israeli agribusinesses; had an Ohio booth at a tradeshow in Israel, presenting 5 Ohio agribusinesses, and attended 2 other Israeli tradeshow; organized 5 professional visits from Israel to Ohio with 6 Israeli delegates and 3 Ohio trade delegations to Israel with 13 delegates; presented a symposium in Israel about Israel-U.S. trade opportunities and 10 informational workshops & seminars in Ohio about drip irrigation, horticulture, trade with Israel, food export, kosher certification, and student internship; attended 17 Ohio meetings and conferences; presented 10 Israeli drip irrigation and horticulture companies at a permanent training & demonstration unit in a university setting; had a meeting of the Advisory Committee in Ohio and a meeting of the Leadership Forum in Israel; and worked directly with many Israeli and Ohio agribusinesses interested in trade and collaboration. These events developed cooperative business arrangements, technology exchanges, and research collaboration opportunities between stakeholders from both countries in an effort to meet the Initiative's ambitious goals. PARTICIPANTS: Not relevant to this project. TARGET AUDIENCES: Not relevant to this project. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.
Impacts
Through participation in tradeshows in Ohio and Israel and other means, the Initiative identified companies interested in trade & collaboration, and has been working with these agribusinesses and food producers towards achieving their goals. The Initiative was involved in trade of agriculture, agribusiness & food products between Ohio and Israel that reached more than $9-12 million since the program's inception. Specific examples for this reporting period include: an Israeli dairy software and equipment company that has set its N. America logistics & and distribution center in Ohio to handle about $4 MM/year worth of merchandise; an Israeli seedlings company that has increased its sales in Ohio; an Israeli company that has sold fertilizer injectors in Ohio; an Israeli company which produces soil-less coco coir-based plant growth substrate that is in contact with potential Ohio distributors and clients to supply the products to Ohio farmers & nurseries; an Israeli company that developed a DIY genetic traceability molecular kit and software which provides a genetic tool for cattle parenthood authentication and increased food safety in meat products, that is in discussions with Ohio cattle breeders, farmers & associations towards testing and implementing the product in Ohio; an Israeli company that manufactures greenhouse dehumidifiers which identified a potential distributor and a greenhouse to demonstrate the product; Israeli cattle traders and meat importers interested in importing feeder calves and meat to Israel that are at various stages of inquiries and discussions with Ohio entities to export feeder calves & meat to Israel; an Ohio company that produces a soil-less synthetic hydroponic growth substrate which has exported its goods to Israel; a cereal producer which has been exporting breakfast cereal and health foods to Israel; a producer of cookies that is exporting to Israel through a new distributor; an Ohio farmer that has been exporting organic spelt to Israel; a manufacturer of water treatment equipment which has been selling its products through an Israeli distributor; 2 pet food manufacturers which are exporting cat and dog food to Israel; and a fish food company that is in the process of getting the certification to export to Israel. The Initiative's training of Ohio farmers and showcasing the irrigation and horticulture products of 10 Israeli companies resulted in enhanced familiarity of Ohio farmers with such products, which would lead to more sales for the Israeli companies and better yield for Ohio farmers. In addition, the Initiative worked on and made progress towards the export of meat, feeder calves, processed food, grains and flour, and other products from Ohio to Israel and the import of Israeli dairy, greenhouse, irrigation, horticulture and other products to Ohio. The Initiative helped stakeholders establish contacts within both countries which may lead to future trade. An Ohio farmer expressed interest in the Initiative's agricultural internship program in Israel, with the anticipation that after completing the internship she will apply the gained experience to Ohio's goats & sheep farming and creamery industries.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 09/01/09 to 08/31/10
Outputs
The Ohio-Israel Agriculture Initiative USDA funded project began in June of 2004 as a unique program to strengthen the agricultural connections between Ohio and Israel's farmers, trade organizations, businessmen, researchers, and educational & government entities. The project, a one-of-a-kind endeavor, is advised by a bi-national committee made up of business development & agribusiness leaders, agriculture & food technology experts, farmers, academia & extension professionals, agriculture association representatives, rural development experts, Ohio Dept. of Agriculture, Ohio Dept. of Development, and Israel & U.S. Embassy officials, and Negev Foundation staff. The goals of the program are to increase agricultural ties between Ohio and Israel; develop joint R&D activities; foster trade; establish an active and meaningful relationship between representatives of the Ohio and Israeli agriculture, agricultural research and agri-business sectors; identify new agriculture-related opportunities; identify and introduce potential investors to agricultural innovators in both regions; expand market access in both regions; and identify specific agriculture exchange, technology transfer & other opportunities. At the conclusion of this reporting period, the Initiative produced verifiable outcomes towards achieving its goals. The Initiative was especially effective at meetings its goals of fostering trade, promoting technology transfers & collaborations, facilitating communication between Israeli & Ohio agricultural stakeholders, and arranging for internships. Many trade projects were conceived, developed, or facilitated resulting in further export of agricultural goods from Ohio to Israel that since the inception of the program reached more than 5 million dollars. The Initiative's various projects were well publicized in the U.S. and Israeli media. During the reporting period, the Initiative had an Israel booth at five tradeshows and conferences in Ohio, presenting 24 Israeli agribusinesses; had an Ohio booth at a tradeshow in Israel, presenting eight Ohio agribusinesses, and attended another Israel tradeshow; organized two professional visits from Israel to Ohio with four Israeli delegates covering agritourism and cattle trade, and a five-member trade delegation from Ohio to Israel; presented a symposium in Israel about Israel-U.S. trade opportunities and eight informational workshops & seminars in Ohio about drip irrigation, horticulture, trade with Israel, food export, kosher certification and student internship; attended 25 Ohio meetings and conferences; presented nine Israeli drip irrigation and horticulture companies at a permanent training & demonstration unit in a university setting; recruited two Ohioans for the agricultural internship program in Israel - one in aquaculture and one in dairy goats & sheep; had two meetings of the Advisory Committee; and worked directly with many Israeli and Ohio agribusinesses interested in trade and collaboration. These events developed cooperative business arrangements, technology exchanges, and research efforts between stakeholders from both countries in an effort to meet the Initiative's ambitious goals. PRODUCTS: The Initiative presented seminars on exporting to Israel at the North Coast Global Trade Forum in Lorain and at the ODA Export Resources workshop in Reynoldsburg. The Initiative organized a symposium in Israel on tools & means for developing Israel-US agribusiness export/import with presentations by reps from the USDA, U.S. Commercial Service, ODOD, Braintree, and the Initiative. The Initiative and Israeli company reps gave presentations about Israeli drip irrigation and horticulture technologies & products in five OSU Extension workshops for Ohio farmers at OSU South Centers, Piketon. In addition, the Initiative supported the construction & expansion of a drip irrigation and horticulture training and demonstration unit at OSU South Centers, where products of nine Israeli companies are showcased. The Initiative gave a presentation about the Israel student internship program to Ohio college students interning at OSU's Ohio Agricultural R&D Center, Wooster. The Initiative represented 21 Israeli agribusinesses at its Israel Agriculture Pavilion at OSU's Farm Science Review Tradeshow in London. Initiative staff and Israeli company reps showcased the latest in Israeli agricultural innovations, technology, and equipment in dairy, poultry, aquaculture, horticulture, greenhouse, scales, feeders, filtration, irrigation systems, valves & meters, plastics for agriculture use, and automation & controllers, and presented three Israeli horticulture companies at the Initiative's booth at the OFA 2010 Tradeshow in Columbus. The Initiative also had informational booths at the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation Annual Meeting and Tradeshow in Cincinnati, OSU's Annual Stinner Summit at Lucas, and OSU's Renewable Energy Workshop in Wooster. The Initiative had an Ohio booth at Israel's AgroMashov 2010 International Agriculture Exhibition in Tel Aviv, presenting eight Ohio agribusinesses, and attended Arava Agricultural Conference and Tradeshow in Israel to recruit Israeli agribusinesses interested in trade with Ohio. The Initiative attended 25 workshops, seminars and conferences in Ohio dealing with international business and trade, processed food marketing and export, agribusiness, biotech, and advanced energy. For these events, the Initiative produced materials including displays, videos, and brochures describing the Initiative's work and the showcased companies. The Initiative organized a visit of Israeli aquaculture professionals in Ohio to discuss the possibility of setting up an Ohio demo farm using Israeli technology, and arranged for a visit of Israeli & Palestinian cattle traders to meet with Ohio feeder calf producers interested in exporting to Israel. A five-member trade delegation toured Israel for meetings with Israeli organizations and companies interested in entering the U.S. market, in conjunction with AgroMashov 2010. The Initiative recruited two Ohioans for the agricultural internship program in Israel - one in aquaculture and one in dairy goats & sheep, organized two meetings of its Advisory Committee, and worked directly with many Israeli and Ohio agribusinesses interested in trade and collaboration towards achieving this goal. OUTCOMES: Through participation in tradeshows in Ohio and Israel, the initiative identified companies interested in trade & collaboration, and has been working with these agribusinesses and food producers towards achieving their goals. The Initiative was involved in the exporting from Ohio to Israel of agriculture, agribusiness & food products that reached more than $5 million worth of trade since the program inception. Specific examples for this reporting period include: an Ohio company that produces a soil-less synthetic hydroponic growth substrate which identified an Israeli distributor and had sent the first shipment of goods to Israel; an Israeli company that found an Ohio distributor and has filled several orders for their fertilizer injectors; an Israeli company which identified potential Ohio distributors for its soil-less coco coir-based plant growth substrate, and is currently in negotiations with these distributors to supply the products to Ohio farmers and nurseries; an Israeli company that developed a DIY genetic traceability molecular kit and software which provides a genetic tool for parenthood authentication in cattle and for increased food safety in beef products, that is in discussions with Ohio cattle breeders & farmers and cattle associations towards testing and implementing this product in Ohio; Israeli & Palestinian cattle traders interested in importing feeder calves to Israel that have made tentative agreements with Ohio cattle farmers & cattle cooperatives to export feeder calves to Israel; an Israeli Koi grower and exporter interested in setting up a closed aquaculture Koi production system joint venture using their technology and the U.S. farm's established distribution system to sell the Koi in the U.S., which identified two potential Ohio aquaculture farms that are interested in such collaboration; an Israeli company that manufactures water filtration systems for agriculture which identified potential distributors & clients; and an Israeli company that supplies air ventilation equipment to the greenhouse industry that identified potential distributors & clients. The Initiative's training of Ohio farmers and showcasing the products of nine Israeli companies that offer products for water treatment, filtration, meters, valves, flow control, and management; drip & micro-irrigation; fertigation; climate control; and plant growth substrates, resulted in enhanced familiarity of Ohio farmers with such products, which would lead to more sales for the Israeli companies and better yield for Ohio farmers. In addition, the initiative worked on and made progress towards the export of beef, feeder calves, and other products from Ohio to Israel and the import of Israeli irrigation and horticulture products to Ohio. The Initiative helped stakeholders establish contacts within both countries which may lead to future trade. The Initiative recruited two Ohioans for the internship program in Israel, with the anticipation that after completing the internship they will apply the gained experience to Ohio's aquaculture and goats & sheep farming and creamery industries. DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES: As part of its dissemination efforts, the Initiative secured media coverage in both Israel and the U.S. for its activities and events. For each significant event, the Initiative produced press releases and distributed them to relevant news media outlets including regional newspapers, radio and television stations, internet news sites, and agricultural trade publications. The Initiative actively corresponded with media persons in order to gauge how much press the Initiative was receiving and to promote more media coverage of its activities. The Initiative has on file many articles which discuss the Initiative's activities. Media coverage was secured in regional newspapers including The Daily Standard (Celina, OH), and The Morning Journal (Lorain and Northern Ohio). Various Jewish media including the Cleveland Jewish News, Youngstown Jewish Journal Monthly Magazine, the Ohio Jewish Chronicle (Columbus, OH), and Israel Update e-newsletter of the Consulate General of Israel in Philadelphia also reported on events, as did Israeli agriculture magazines such as Kav LaMoshav and Mashov Agriculture, and Israel agritourism e-newsletter Tayaron. Several Ohio and national agricultural publications covered the Initiative's work including Farm and Dairy, and Ohio's Country Journal, as did The Ohio State University's Today Headline News e-newsletter, South Centers Connections newsletter, and South Centers webpage. The Initiative's website at www.negev.org was updated to include current activities. The Initiative utilized events it participated in as a way of promoting its activities. The Initiative had a booth at the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation's Annual Meeting and Tradeshow, Ohio State University Annual Farm Science Review, OFA Tradeshow, Ohio State University Renewable Energy Workshop, and Ohio State University Annual Stinner Summit in Ohio, as well as at AgroMashov International Exhibition for Agribusiness, Technology and Product in Israel which also included a special symposium on U.S.-Israel trade organized by the Initiative. Having the booths at these events allowed the Initiative to publicize its activities, showcase Ohio and Israeli agribusinesses interested in trade, recruit new companies interested in economic opportunities between the two regions, and identify individuals interested in technology exchange and internships. In addition, the Initiative promoted these opportunities at conferences, workshops and seminars it attended, which included Arava MoPatuach Agricultural Conference and Tradeshow in Israel and eight informational workshops & seminars and 25 meetings and conferences in Ohio. FUTURE INITIATIVES: Following the completion of the Initiative's funding period, the following projects have been planned: The Initiative plans to continue exploring aquaculture technology transfers between Ohio and Israel, and help set up a demonstration & training for-profit recirculating aquaculture farm in Ohio using Israeli know-how. The Initiative also plans to expand the Drip Irrigation and Horticulture Training and Demonstration Unit in Ohio State University South Centers, and possibly open another such site in NW Ohio, and continue supporting training workshops showcasing Israeli irrigation and horticulture technologies and products. The Initiative plans to continue fostering trade between Israeli and Ohio agriculture companies and to continue working directly with Israeli and Ohio agribusinesses interested in trade and collaboration. The Initiative is also exploring the ability to export feeder calves from Ohio to Israel now that Israel is in negotiations with the U.S. on allowing the importation of live U.S. cattle. The export of other agriculture products will also be explored and encouraged. As part of these trade efforts, the Initiative will assist more companies in becoming kosher certified to increase their products' markets. The Initiative plans to send one Ohio aquaculturist and one Ohio dairy goat farmer/ cheese producer for internships in Israel, and will continue to encourage and sponsor agriculture and aquaculture internships for Ohio students and professionals in Israel. The Initiative will also continue sending agriculture experts and trade delegations to Israel and Ohio, and hosting exhibits at tradeshows. Already planned for Ohio are booths at the 2010 Ohio State University Farm Science Review where for the seventh consecutive year the Initiative will host an Israel Pavilion, the 2010 Ohio State University Renewable Energy Workshop, the 2010 Ohio Farm Bureau Federation Annual Meeting and Tradeshow Hospitality Corner, OPGMA 2011 Conference and Tradeshow (fruits and vegetables) , CENTS 2011 Conference and Tradeshow (nurseries and landscaping), OAA 2011 (aquaculture), and OFA 2011 Tradeshow (horticulture). In Israel the Initiative plans to have a booth at AgroMashov 2011 International Exhibition for Agribusiness, Technology and Product and organize a symposium on Ohio-Israel trade there, and to attend the Arava 2011 Agricultural Conference and Tradeshow. Besides these tradeshows, the Initiative plans an Ohio trade delegation to Israel which will include participation in the AgroMashov 2011 exhibition and symposium. The Initiative also plans to present informational workshops & seminars as well as attend other conferences, workshops, seminars and meetings in Ohio. These activities will enable the Initiative to publicize its activities, showcase Ohio and Israeli agribusinesses interested in trade, recruit new companies interested in economic opportunities between the two regions, and identify individuals interested in technology exchange and internships.
Impacts
The Initiative's work in trade projects increased economic activity of both the U.S. and Israel. The Initiative was involved in trade of items between Ohio and Israel that reached more than 9-12 million dollars since the inception of the program. We aren't always made aware of the actual dollar value of all business transactions between private companies, yet through both specific and general feedback, we feel that the estimate is accurate. The outcome of more trade is a stronger agriculture industry and more jobs in this and related sectors. Furthermore, consumers benefit from the expanded trade as this provides more product choices. The Initiative produced a number of educational benefits deriving from agricultural technology transfers, and information exchanges. Because of the facilitation of technology exchanges, Ohio producers have access to Israeli technology that provides effective irrigation, water recirculation, healthy environments, and higher yields. The internship program for Ohio students and professionals in Israel will benefit the Ohio agriculture, aquaculture and food industries by gaining valuable experiences, knowledge and skills that will enable the participants apply it in Ohio.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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