 |
The
Middle East
Bridging the Rift in the Middle
East
The initiative
Cornell University is involved in supporting a peace initiative
in the Middle East through the Bridging the Rift Foundation, a
foundation, which board includes members from Israel and Jordan. The
initiatives intends to bring peace to the region not through
political negotiations, but by supporting economic development that
will interconnect the well-being of people in the region in a
interdependent way.
Activities
Cornell IPM has been involved with the initiative, from the
moment BTR first approached Cornell and has been active in both the
development of the academic and Agrotech business sides of the
initiative.
IPM and plant health faculty involved to date
- Dr. George Abawi
- Dr. Rose Loria
- Dr. Tom Zitter
- Dr. Andrew Landers
- Dr. Greg English Loe…
- Dr. Mike Hoffman
- Dr. John …
- Dr. Peter Trutmann
The academic program and study
opportunities
Information on the academic program and opportunities can be found
on
BTR website
The Agrotech Business development
It is envisioned that one of the engines for development of the
region will be the Agrotech Business. A central feature of the
business is Clean Agriculture (see
right insert)
Workshop and funding proposal
A BTR Agrotech business development workshop organized by
International IPM coordination and CIIFAD was held at Cornell in
April 2000. It concentrated mostly on research and training
activities, but also on requirements to develop the overall business
context and framework. About 25 Cornell faculty attended various
sessions on business management and marketing, production, clean
agriculture and bio-products/food processing. A proposal is being
developed for BTR for support in developing the various components
to develop the Agrotech business. Following from the proposals
developed from the workshop there has been approval to develop a
business and a marketing plan, as well as support for the activities
of a proposed ‘steering committee’.
Future
Future IPM activities will depend on the financial commitment of the
BTR to the ‘Clean Agriculture’ concept.
|
|
CLEAN AGRICULTURE
The development of the technology and knowledge to produce
‘clean products’ is intimately related to production and
marketing activities. Methodologies are required that can
ensure consistent high quality production of produce that
conforms to the defined ‘clean agriculture brand’. These
practices include ‘clean plant and soil health strategies,
and environmentally friendly natural resources management.
Methodologies need to be put in place to manage wastes
without causing environmental pollution, and it is essential
to use systems that are economic, yet maximize recycling of
scarce water.
An overall priority is the development of an
agro-ecologically-based production and pest management
system. The Arava region represents a unique opportunity for
doing things right. Much of the valley has not been
developed, providing a chance to implement sound
agro-ecological principles from the beginning. In the part
of the production area already operating efforts and
research are required to ‘clean up’ production problems. The
priority research is required to develop integrated systems
to manage soil disease and restore soil health. Presently,
soils are being regularly fumigated with methyl bromide, a
soil sterilizant. This product is being phased out in major
markets and alternatives are required. Some alternatives are
being investigated are solarizarion, other chemicals,
resistance breeding, and some forms of biological control.
These approaches need to be looked at from an overall
production management strategy and new knowledge in soil
agro-ecology.
All practices should be converted to integrated pest
management (IPM) approaches. The philosophy’s intrinsic aim
is to ultimately manage pests without the application of
harmful chemicals. IPM integrates methods from various
disciplines, based on an understanding of the biology,
ecology and economics of the host, pest environment complex.
When pests cannot be controlled using non-chemical methods
IPM methods allow for a rational use of pesticides, as last
resort, and only when ‘economically’ justified. In the Arava
region research would aim to develop IPM strategies that
would provide the ‘clean products’ as defined by the market
and the business. |
|
|
