Category: Agriculture

Israel has long been a trailblazer in the field of AgriFood-Tech, having been forced to innovate in order to overcome unfavorable growing conditions. Its landmark achievement was the invention of drip irrigation, a novel way to water and fertilize crops – using minimal resources that went on to revolutionize the meaning of the term arable land. Since then Israel has cultivated a thriving ecosystem – the second largest in the world – home to almost 400 companies. The industry provides a wide spectrum of solutions, helping to increase yields, reduce the use of harmful chemicals, and improve the quality and variety of crops. Over the past three decades, Israel’s agricultural capabilities have been further augmented by cutting-edge technologies like computer vision, artificial intelligence, robotics, advanced communications, traceability solutions, and biotechnology, producing an ecosystem that stretches far beyond the country’s borders.

Here is a list of some companies for your perusal:

1. Agrinoze – Only Automatic and Autonomous Irrigation and Fertigation Solution in the World Scalable for Food Security
2. Agrinoze’s fully autonomous irrigation and fertigation proprietary algorithm runs the end-to-end system continuously, collects real-time unique plant and soil data, determines precise irrigation and fertigation commands, and executes them autonomously.
3. This method is effective for any crop, soil, substrate, and growing environment, including open fields, greenhouses, and orchards, enabling any farm to become a pioneer in the battle for food security. The result is an ideal root zone environment with zero human intervention.
4. Agrinoze increases yield by hundreds of percentage points, conserves water and fertilizers, improves soil health, and enables food security pioneers to feed the world sustainably by delivering the first scalable solution for boosting global food production.
5. Agrinoze was recently honored as one of ten startups featured in the World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit’s TechHub in San Francisco, California and is active in many markets around the world including the US, Morocco, Israel, Thailand and Indonesia.

• Aquamaof – Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS) with the Least Energy Consumption in the Industry
• Featuring next generation Aquaculture Technology, Aquamaof’s advance Recirculation Aquaculture System (RAS) technology offers maximum control, minimum maintenance and ultimate sustainability.
• At the core of the AquaMaof integrated RAS technology is efficient power management, dramatically reducing costs of energy.
• Strict biosecurity protocols and complete environmental control enable elimination of antibiotics and chemicals in the process and high survival rates. Sophisticated scalable and flexible design enables adaptation to different requirements, and integration of new technologies as they become available.
• Their track record spans across the globe, and have implemented successful projects in countries like Japan, Canda, Poland and Russia.

• Bee-io – The Only Company in the World Making Honey Without Bees (Listed on Tel Aviv Stock Exchange)
• Utilizing novel bio-processes, micro-organisms are engineered to create the same proteins bees use to transform nectar to honey in their stomachs.
• Existing methods of honey production endangers bees and results in escalating prices. Similarly, the honey produced may contain toxins, pesticides, and antibiotics.
• Bee-io’s production technology enables 365-day high production capacity of ‘clean’ honey therefore meeting growing demand and contributing to food security, cost reduction resulting in reasonable prices, and very importantly reduces extinction rate of bees, a critical member of ecological integrity.
• Bee-io has two successful R&D collaborations with global research powerhouses MIT and the Weizmann Institute of Science.

• Biotic – Plastic Alternative: First to produce fully bio-based & biodegradable PHBV polymers in a non-sterile environment, in a continuous process (Backed by Rockstart and The Yield Lab)
• Biotic provides a fully bio-based & biodegradable polymer manufacturing process, using marine biomass as feedstock for the precise fermentation process.
• Their PHBV polymers fully degrade into CO2 and water, safely eliminating recycling needs and costs. The circular process also allows extraction of valuable byproducts such as protein, colorants, lipids and other small molecules.
• Named in the FoodTech 500 2021 list; Finalists of ‘The Tech For Humanity Awards’ – Aviram Foundation with Forbes (Dubai, 2022) and Finalists of the Ag Plastics Innovation Challenge.
• In advanced stages of collaboration with global leaders in the Food & Beverage, Consumer Goods, Packaging, Medical Care, and additional industries.

• NextFerm – The Only Neutral-Tasting Vegan Protein that can Nutritionally Replace Animal-derived Protein (Listed on Tel Aviv Stock Exchange)
• NextFerm is a global leader in non-GMO strain development technologies with a proven track record for developing robust and highly efficient strains for industrial scale applications.
• ProteVin™ is a revolutionary vegan protein. It is the first highly digestible, non-GMO, whole protein that can replace animal derived protein without compromising on nutrition, taste & performance.
• Its nutritional value enables a faster muscle mass regeneration with minimal protein intake compared to other vegan solutions thus, presenting the most competitive alternative to whey protein.

• Plantae BioSciences – Accelerating Evolution to Create New Plant-centric Solutions (Backed by NRS Group)
• Plantae Bioscience synergistically combines 3 scientific disciplines – gene editing (CRISPR and more), metabolic engineering and computational protein design – to accelerate evolution to create new plant-centric realities. Vertical farming, nutrient-enhanced vegetables and cellular agriculture are the main applications. 
• PLANTAE BIOSCIENCE is committed to improving food security, public health and wellness by utilizing advanced biotechnology tools. It is a partnership between Huminn and the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel.
• Given the challenges to feed the world in an era of climate distress and resource scarcity, new agricultural technologies are needed. These new technologies demand new, and purpose-designed plant genetics.

• Steakholder Foods – Most Advanced 3D Bio-Printing for Cultured Meat (Listed on Nasdaq)
  • Steakholder Foods Ltd. (Nasdaq: STKH), formally MeaTech 3D Ltd. ($MITC), is on a mission to make real meat sustainable and slaughter free.
  • With proprietary 3D bioprinting technology and advanced cellular biology, the company is developing whole-cut, ground and hybrid products that will allow people to continue enjoying tender, juicy meat while making the right choice for the planet and all its inhabitants. Join the new community of meat lovers and help write the next chapter in the story of meat.
  • Milestones:
    • Funding: $59 Million raised. First Nasdaq-listed cultivated meat company.
    • R&D achievements: December 2021 – Largest ever cultivated steak printed – 3.67 oz
    • Acquisitions & collaborations:
      • February 2021 – acquisition of Peace of Meat, a leading Belgian developer of cultured avian products.
      • July 2022 – Steakholder Foods announces collaboration with Umami Meats, a Singaporean cultured seafood company.
      • May 2022 – wholly owned subsidiary Peace of Meat signs joint development agreement with ENOUGH, a leader in mycoprotein.
      • October 2021 – Steakholder partners with the BlueSoundWaves collective, led by Ashton Kutcher, Guy Oseary and Effie Epstein.
    • Facilities:
      • March 2022 – Steakholder announced plans for an R&D facility and pilot plant in Belgium.
    • IP portfolio – 15 patents submitted, one already granted

• Tamuz – Preservative and Antibacterial Material
• Developed a mix molecule from a natural plant source, as well as a synthetic material but identical to the natural one.
• Experiments show a significant extending shelf life on food product (like fish and meat) and the potential possibility, to apply their product in various food to extend their shelf life, (including drugs and vaccines) which are susceptible to infections.
• They are now focused on preserving food, medicines and vaccines and the ability to extend the shelf life of various food products, fresh, frozen, chilled and thawed.
• The product is currently approved by the FDA as a GRAS material.

Cause for Concern

In June 2022, the detection of varroa mites (aptly named ‘varroa destructor’) in sentinel hives at NSW’s Port of Newcastle triggered an immediate national eradication response plan across Australia. This led to a tumultuous six months of tracking, surveillance and implementing biosecurity measures to curb the proliferation of the mite – known globally as an agricultural pest.

The Australian Government’s Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry joined forces with its state and territory counterparts to implement the response plan, which follows a three-tiered surveillance system – where the epicenters of outbreaks were designated 10km ‘Eradication Zones,’ assigned parameters where honeybees were systemically (and humanely) euthanised (NSW Department of Primary Industries). While this has slowed the spread of the varroa, the mite has spread as far north as Coffs Harbour. Australia’s zero-varroa legacy has come to an end.

Varroa mites are particularly damaging to honey bees because of how they reproduce. They feed and reproduce on the larvae and pupae of bees in the developing brood – which leads to malformation and weakening of the bees, while also transmitting viruses (BeeAware). This can be potentially lethal to the overall wellbeing of a hive.

Why such a drastic response?

Bees play a massive role in pollinating the plants that we eat – with around 75% of the world’s crops dependent on pollinators. In Australia, it is estimated that honey bees contribute four to six billion dollars to our economy, annually. Indeed, we’re lucky that the varroa has not been cause for concern – until now.

Eradication of the mite is the best policy. The varroa threatens the wellbeing of Australia’s honey bee population, and therefore the wellbeing of our broader agricultural sector.

Israel Buzzing with Solutions

Israel has a long history of innovation within the agricultural sphere. Indeed, this developed largely out of necessity, with two-thirds of Israeli land considered either semi-arid or arid.

Now the ‘Start-Up Nation’ has an array of bee-focused exports at its disposal – and they may be just what Australia needs to combat its bee troubles.

BeeWise has redesigned the beehive to improve bee health management. It has replaced the traditional, 150-year-old wooden box hives that we know, with their own ‘BeeHome’ – a caravan-like structure that both houses and monitors the bees while also performing essential beekeeper tasks, robotically. Some of its capabilities include a climate and humidity control system, and pest and population control.

So what does this fix? Bees are sensitive to changes in temperature within their hives. Any temperature beneath 32.2 and above 35 degrees is considered suboptimal and may inhibit healthy brood rearing. A sustained suboptimal climate may ultimately lead to the very real risk of colony collapse disorder (CCD), where the majority of worker bees in a colony disappear, leaving behind the queen and a few nurse bees to support the brood. BeeWise’s real-time problem alerts can ensure that any change in climate or humidity may be quickly reversed, providing a better environment for brood rearing and reducing the risk of colony collapse disorder.

As we’ve established, the existence of varroa in hives leads to weakened bees and can be potentially lethal. BeeWise’s solution also incorporates pest control, offering continual monitoring for pests. When pests – like varroa – are detected, non-chemical treatment is applied in real time. This results in a significant reduction in infestation and ultimately mitigates colony loss.

As we’ve seen, CCD is disastrous for bee colonies. It is a very real threat, decimating the global bee population – and has had a particular effect on the most common breed of bee – the Western Honey Bee. The global decline of the Western Honey Bee, of course, threatens the global supply chain – due to the broad range of crops that rely on pollination by bee (i.e. ‘pollinator reliant’ crops). Almonds, cotton, avocados, lychees, berries, macadamias, melons and onions are just some examples of pollinator reliant crops.

So, if so many types of crops (and in Australia, so many export dollars) are being threatened by the potential collapse of our tiny friends, is there a backup option? Yes – and it’s called artificial pollination.

Israel’s Bumblebee AI specialises in data-driven artificial pollination that mimics the natural pollination process. Their Crossbee device emits an electrostatic charge (much like bees do) that attracts positively-charged pollen from the crops, which can then be applied to female crops to complete the pollination process. Incorporate robotics into the mix, and you have Robee – a semi-autonomous robotic device that utilises vibration to displace pollen. Its two mechanical arms deliver short vibrations to the base of crops, to free up pollen so that it falls on the female flowers of the plant.

It is clear that the answer to Australia’s (and the world’s) bee troubles lies in Israeli innovation, whether it be through monitoring bee hive health and managing varroa outbreak or if all else fails, artificial pollination. The implementation of technologies like those of BeeWise and Bumblebee AI is pivotal in ensuring the sustainability of Australia’s food supply.

For further information on beetech or agritech more broadly, reach out to Luke Bulbrook.