USDA, Israeli Sign Agreement on Cooperative Research

Officials with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MOARD) of the State of Israel signed a formal agreement in Washington, DC, to collaborate on research to meet the world’s food and fiber needs and address other high-priority agricultural issues. ARS is USDA’s chief intramural scientific research agency.

Under the five-year agreement, scientists with ARS and MOARD will conduct cooperative research focusing on key bilateral and global agricultural development issues such as climate change, international food security, alternative energy production, precision agriculture, sustainable natural resources management, capacity building and rural development.

Specific areas of interest include animal production, aquaculture, horticulture, food safety and quality, water management and technology, sustainable agriculture, integrated pest management and post-harvest management of agricultural commodities.