by Zvi Herman

Israel's technical cooperation assistance with developing countries developed and operates, in recent years, various modalities or configurations of demonstration and training facilities around the world. What are they? How did they develop? What do they seek to accomplish? The author, Director of the Center for International Agricultural Development Cooperation (CINADCO), of the Israeli Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, which serves as the main professional and operational arm for MASHAV's agricultural programs both in Israel and abroad, notes that they all aim to serve as practical grassroots focal development sites.

The world is filled with ways the developed countries seek to share their experiences, successes and lessons with the developing world. None offer magic, off-the-shelf solutions. Yet Israel's technical cooperation program, since its establishment in the late 1950s, aiming primarily to share its agriculture development experience with the rest of the developing world, has focused on combining sound professional experience with practical field level orientation. Moreover, the prime concept, in most cases, has been a practical bottom-up approach, without ignoring the importance of prevailing top-down, macro-policy-oriented development at the same time.

Gershon Gan (left - Director of External Affairs Dept. at MASHAV) and Zvi Herman display a gravitational irrigation setup in Kenya

This bottom-up approach assumes that combining, in one location, practical demonstration and training activities carried out at actual rural field level (usually in remote peripheral regions) has a two-way impact: First, and probably the most important, is the impact on the local farming communities living and operating in immediate proximity to the demonstration facility. This provides a very direct contact between the farmers and other rural dwellers and the various professional and technical elements of the demonstration facility and with its overall concept. Second, the assumption is that practical and successful results and lessons learned will be further disseminated and will have an impact on development policy issues, both at the regional and national levels. An additional development assumption is the multiplication effect: When others see something works, they are more likely to adopt the example (seeing is believing). Thus, one can build local cadres - "training the trainers" - who can carry the message to others, aiming to create a critical mass at different developing areas. This can speed up the process of self managed and sustainable development at various levels.

A local farmer shows off her fields

Drawing on Israel's Development Experience

Israel's international technical cooperation in agricultural development, since its inception, has a strong and continuous link with the country's own practical and professional agricultural and rural development experience, and its development stages. This process involved transforming Israel's own agriculture/rural setting initially from a semi-mixed farming system to a market- and export-oriented agriculture sector. This was not experienced without an ongoing struggle with limited natural resources and other development constraints, although with successful results. These lessons are made available and utilized by Israel's agricultural technical cooperation programs, not neglecting the necessary adaptations needed for the specific socio-economic conditions and values prevailing in developing countries.

Only 50 years ago Israel itself was an underdeveloped country, facing challenges to its development goals. The rural smallholder setting of the country was, and to a large extent is today, based on multipurpose agricultural cooperatives and collectives (moshavim and kibbutzim). However, over the years many significant factors of the moshav smallholder cooperative and the larger kibbutz operations have undergone changes to many aspects of the original model, mainly to confront needed adaptations to national and international changes, including market driven development orientations.

Israel's agricultural resource base today is similar to that of the 1950s (although water for agricultural use this has been drastically reduced in the recent years). It provides a diversified and balanced food basket in 2002 for over a population of six million in comparison to about 600,000 people fifty years ago. Over this period the productive land area, also a major limited production mean, has been constant, e.g., about 400,000 hectares, of which about 200,000 hectares are under pressure irrigation. Agricultural output has expanded twelve-fold over these five decades. In addition, the general development policy and production output has over this period been oriented toward high quality and value production, both to cater for the internal and the export markets.

Checking the soil irrigation level

The Israeli farmers and professionals involved in today's sharing and transfer of know how are, to a large extent, the same people, or the second generation, who have been involved in development since the ‘fifties, making much of Israel's agricultural technical cooperation program particularly sensitive to a wide range of similar situations facing developing countries the world over.

This development perspective, combined with its operational elements, is made available for the practical use of Israel's technical cooperation and sharing of know how. We assume that much of both past processes and current agricultural development experiences have a high degree of relevance to prevailing agricultural development situations in the developing world of today.

What Influenced Israel's Agriculture Development?

This agricultural development pattern, set in a semi-arid to arid agroclimatic conditions, made it necessary to combine integrated development and professional capacities. The recipe for Israel's agricultural performance was built to a large degree on three interrelated elements: Firstly, agricultural research has focused on applied research based on close collaboration with farmers in the field. The fruit of this research has resulted in water management and irrigation technologies, on-farm production practices, drought-resistant crop varieties, extended shelf-life of produce, and so forth. It had enhanced production intensification and diversification aimed to improve agricultural and rural income opportunities. Secondly, a farmer-oriented extension service accelerates dissemination of practical advances and trains farmers, transferring know-how as fast as possible to the farm gate and into the overall farming system. Thirdly, development of technologies - precise drip and other pressure irrigation systems, protected horticultural methods (greenhouses), improved seeds and high quality planting materials, improved post-harvest care, computer-operated production systems, information technologies for both management and human capacity training, and so forth - in addition to development of related agricultural support services, e.g., marketing, processing, financial organization, combining both public and private interests, have been harnessed to overcome constraints and problems of limited primary production resources, namely shortage of water and limited land and semi-arid and arid climatic conditions.

The Technology Issue

The role of technology in this development process (combined appropriately with other development factors) has given rise over time to serious professional and development debates, on one hand, and, on the other, is providing opportunities and challenges for shortcuts and solutions to overcome technical, professional and economic problems to some if not most development situations. This situation is significant and relevant in the current world development and globalization era.

Zvi Herman explains an irrigation and crop diversification project to a professor from Thailand

In this context, the recent Human Development Report 2001, "Making New Technologies Work for Human Development," published by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), states: "Technological innovation affects human development in two ways. First, it can directly enhance human capabilities. Many products - drought-tolerant plant varieties for farmers in uncertain climates, vaccines for infectious diseases... directly improve people's health, nutrition, knowledge and living standards... Second, technological innovation is a means to human development because of its impact on economic growth through the productivity gains it generates. It raises the crop yields of farmers, the output of factory workers and the efficiency of service providers and small businesses..."

The World Bank also addresses this issue in a recently published report, "Globalization, Growth and Poverty, Building an Inclusive World Economy," in the context of world globalization processes and potentials and advantages for developing countries' specific conditions for economic growth.

These conditions, combined with technology and other critical related services, as well as "in place" policies, such as human and skill-oriented training, can encourage small or other stakeholders to rise above subsistence- or cash-oriented agriculture to become part of higher income level "upscale" markets and the world economy at large.

Common Concepts and Components

This bottom-up development approach assumes that by combining, in a well selected location, a practical focal "Demonstration and Training" site involving a range of ongoing and long-term activities carried out at actual rural field levels, in most cases established in remote peripheral regions, development impact at both the project and national levels will be experienced.

This approach over the years has led to the formulation of some six different agricultural development demonstration modalities or configurations of demonstration facilities. All six configurations, however, have a common conceptual base.

They are all based on using and preserving the local primary natural resources for production, e.g., land, water, etc., to build a market-oriented demonstration production core facility, applying intensification (without degradation) and diversification practices, and exploitation of new technologies that often link and upgrade local technologies and practices. This is not only demonstration of new farm practices and technologies, but systematically, parallel hands-on training and transfer of know-how at the project field level is carried out. The activities also engage in extension work with farmers located in the vicinity of the demonstration site. These outreach extension training activities are disseminated by various activities at the farm level to observe how practices and technologies are absorbed and implemented by local farmers and or clusters of producers. Other functions also provide technical support service to assist in adapting and maintaining newly-introduced technologies and building post-harvest and marketing capacities, taking products beyond the farm gate and coping with socio-economic and management issues.

Each demonstration facility - whatever the model - adapts a comprehensive approach to a given mix of products and geographical area, selects suitable technologies, farm and management practices and provides on-site training and extension work. Not less important than what is brought in by this development approach is not just offering it as is. All the demonstration facilities study and build application of the above components onto existing on-farm practices, indigenous systems and socio-economic conditions and values.

By combining technology and ecologically-sound practices in this way, individual farmers gain added value and enhanced performance, improve their personal security, while practicing a sustainable agriculture that can spread farther afield, fueled by its own successes.

Some Modalities - An Overview

These different modalities are operated under various bilateral or multilateral technical cooperation programs carried out between Israel and the host country, and/or in cooperation with an international assistance agency or donor partner country. These various modalities are characterized by the following formats.

Integrated Technology-Based Agribusiness Enterprise

This model, the largest configuration, is market-driven - relatively an economy of scale configuration model. One such operation has been established in China at an existing large farming operation at the Yongledian farm complex, located in the outskirts of the capital, Beijing. The farm facility is based on demonstrating the aggregated advantages of appropriate agricultural technologies and agribusiness management practices in various selected agriculture fields, specifically oriented towards market driven production.

The core demonstration is established on a multi-branch farm on a large scale, based on protected horticulture activities, e.g., both greenhouses and lighter structures for vegetables and flowers. The facility incorporates demonstration of post-harvest care and marketing for high value horticulture products. Technology transfer includes upgrading of local practices and farm technologies with particular, interesting and innovative results by upgrading locally designed, small-scale and low-cost greenhouses with drip irrigation systems, improved seeds and other inputs, resulting both with higher quality and value added to farm outputs. The demonstration activities include on-site and outreach training, and also open day and visits by thousands of farmers, managers, policy-makers and professionals. The farm activities also include outreach technical consultancy services.

Specialized Agricultural Branch Development

These are also relatively large-scale demonstration facilities that focus primarily on one agriculture branch - such as dairy. The goal of this configuration is to demonstrate the advantages of combining appropriate technologies, training and specialized management to enhance the development of a selected agriculture branch for which market-driven potentials and comparative advantages of the local eco-system are identified. In the case of dairy development, this is based on a program for intensive upgrading of the technical and management capacity of the dairy sector for market demand for milk and milk products, and as a source for protein, both at regional and national levels. This modality has been actualized in China, by fully upgrading an existing dairy facility at Dere Vu farm, located in the outskirts of Beijing, basing its production output on the growing market demand of the city for high quality milk and milk products. Other such demonstration facilities have been put into practice in El Salvador and in some of the Central Asian Republics, also addressing demonstration for modern family operated dairy enterprises. This model also integrates intensive training and outreach consultancies.

Core Demonstration, Diversification and Intensification for Small-Scale/Family "Outgrowers" Development

This configuration is based in principal on two main components: the core demonstration and intensification farm site, with relatively larger scale production, and a field level research and development facility. In most cases the intention is to operate within an existing farm facility, re-utilizing and upgrading existing infrastructures for demonstration, training and outreach technical services.

The rationale and mode of operation is to carry out simultaneously improved agricultural demonstration practices, introduction of technologies and training, both at the core demonstration facility as well as at the farmers' own farms. Training and demonstration is carried out at these levels continuously. In some cases the operation of the core farm will be the first stage of the program and at a later stage the outgrower component is incorporated. Experience indicates that, where possible, the parallel operation of both components is likely to result in faster and higher quality outputs in terms of transfer of know how, trained farmers and self managed operations and interaction with upscale marketing and economic benefits. This model has indicated improved results with training the trainers and serving as a role model for other farmers and target groups, widening the circle to include development of marketing and commercial orientation.

The participants as a group can also develop a market-orientation. Together they can create a critical mass that will attract marketing interests which will only come if there are enough quality products and undisrupted supply in the area to make it profitable. Thus, the outgrowers serve as the nucleus for building a marketing chain system. This model has been developed in Kenya in the Kibwezi region, at the Kibwezi Demonstration Farm. This model and demonstration project also comprises a strong self managed operation and participatory element. Development over the years managed to facilitate a diversified outgrower group of about 400 farmers, trained at the project, all involved in small to medium irrigated agricultural activities of exotic horticulture crops both for local and export markets. The project is deriving special interest as a model for market driven smallholder development and is interacting with regional and national production and the marketing chain system.

Demonstration of Environmental Improvement Practices, Income Generation and Livelihood

This is a configuration based on a range of small-scale pilot project operations focusing on different agriculturally associated environment issues, income generation and peoples' livelihood, focusing on developing and disseminating appropriate practices in local communities.

This demonstration and training modality is specifically designed for remote and environmentally degraded conditions. The different demonstration projects are strongly based on community involvement and local innovative individuals and entrepreneurs. The various pilot projects are designed so that they will generate local interest and create the desire for larger and/or other intensified project development, both for income generating and community based development initiatives. This modality is designed and operated in the economically and environmentally degraded Aral Sea region (on the part of the sea in Kazakhstan), aiming to generate local participation and pilot demonstration and training, such as improving fresh vegetable production and supply by introducing irrigation and production practices on saline degraded soils, planting trees by community involvment to improve environmental conditions, introduction of technologies for fish fingerlings to restock the over-fished lake, and other environment improvement pilot projects for raising general public awareness for economic and livelihood (quality of life) improvements in the region.

Demonstration for Family Farm Food Security

This configuration lends itself to almost any area of basic subsistence farming conditions, but particularly where agriculture is critically rainfed-dependent. This modality primarily promotes food security at the household level through the introduction of low-cost farm practice improvement and technologies, with specific emphasis on low-cost, small-scale irrigation schemes focusing on grains for staple food and vegetables as cash crop. The use of open pollinated and, where applicable, hybrid seeds is promoted. On-farm skill-oriented training to improve food security and cash economy of the individual household or farming clusters are important demonstration components of this modality.

This modality has been put into practice in Kobo, a peripheral region in Ethiopia, and on the Gahtalai Plain in Eritrea in an agricultural resettlement project and with small family farm operations for income generation.

Agribusiness Consultancy and Entrepreneurship Service Center Network

This is a relatively new configuration, specifically designed to assist the privatization and development process of the agricultural sector of the newly-independent Central Asian Republics.

The centers are designed to provide assistance in drafting technical and business plans, introduction of appropriate technologies and management to support agricultural and rural entrepreneurship. The consultancy centers provide business advice on planning and managing of small and medium-size agribusinesses operating under market-driven economic conditions. The centers also assist newly-formed agribusinesses in identification and allocation of bank financing and other development capital resources.

Some particular issues are a constant companion of those involved in managing these demonstration modalities: Keep it relevant to the recipient's specific conditions!!!

Is it applicable to the beneficiary? And how should results be adapted to fit conditions elsewhere? One of the more practical features of these modalities is that they lend themselves to conditions in peripheral areas where people have less access to know-how and other such needed services for improving their livelihood.

The process of development is a long complex journey. We should keep in mind that these modalities of technical cooperation are just some of the professional means to enhance development processes. Many questions remain. And the process of exploration and study has to go on.