Israel's agricultural technical cooperation emphasizes the importance of practicality and a "bottomup" development approach to the provision of food security and the dissemination of best agribusiness practices, while promoting environmentally sound resource use. Our focus is on human capacity building, working in partnership with local organizations and individual farmers to adapt to local conditions and needs useful technologies and methodologies.
The main strength of MASHAV remains in the category of semi and arid zone development, capitalizing on technological solutions developed by Israel's regional R & D centers. In addition, MASHAV is now in the process of promoting peri-urban agriculture to enhance urban food security and improve farm income.
In 2001, MASHAV operated 26 international courses in Israel and 68 on-the-spot courses in partner countries in a wide variety of agricultural topics, many of which are in partnership with Israel's foremost agricultural research and education facilities. In addition, MASHAV operates demonstration projects and agri-business consulting centers in Asia, Africa and Latin America.
Over the years, MASHAV and its professional agricultural arm, the Center for International Agricultural Development Cooperation (CINADCO), have developed various demonstration/training modalities for different agricultural and rural settings. These demonstration centers serve as focal points of excellence, aiming primarily to assist rural populations in improving agricultural practices, enhancing food security and increasing involvement of these target groups in the country's overall economic growth.
The following are some of the modalities have become a hallmark of MASHAV's in-country agricultural technical cooperation programs:
Family-Farm Food Security: Promoting food security, primarily at the household level, through the introduction of low-cost basic farm practice improvements and technologies, mainly emphasizing small irrigation schemes, use of improved open-pollenated and, where applicable, hybrid seeds and on-farm training to improve food security and the cash economy of individual households and farming clusters.
Core Demonstration Programs combined with Small-Holder Out-Grower Extension: Focal demonstration in agricultural periphery areas and extension services to individual and groups of farmers, helping them to adopt improved agricultural, irrigation, input and farm management practices, transforming their subsistence oriented operation into market-driven agribusiness development.
Demonstration of Better Environmental Practices, Income Generation and Livelihood: Based on establishing a range of small-scale pilot project activities in different fields, with the purpose of developing and disseminating best practices in local communities. This modality is specifically designed for remote and environmentally degraded conditions.
Integrated Technology-Based Agribusiness Enterprise Development: Based on demonstrating the combined advantages of appropriate technologies and management practices in various fields of agriculture. Specifically oriented towards larger-scale agribusiness developments.
Agribusiness Consultancy and Technical Services: Provision of services to local small and medium farmers including assistance in drafting business plans and introduction of appropriate technologies and methodologies and management to support agricultural and rural entrepreneurship. Designed primarily to assist the privatization processes in the agricultural sector of Central Asian republics of the former Soviet Union and to aid in the transformation of the agricultural sector from a centrally controlled economy to a market-driven one.
Specialized Agricultural Branch Development: Demonstration of the advantages of combining appropriate technologies, training and management practices to enhance the development of selected agricultural branches where marketing potential and comparative advantages of the local eco-system have been identified. For example, intensive upgrading of the technical and management aspects of the dairy sector, both at the regional and national level, where climatic conditions for semi-zero grazing are favorable and market demand for milk and milk products have been clearly identified.
These professional technical cooperation demonstration activities, combined with on-site training, extension and management assistance, aim at assisting and facilitating development in their immediate vicinity and establishing a multiplier effect through empowerment of local bodies and demonstration of best practices for development and economic growth.
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