Agriculture produces rural landscape, environmental services, cultural and social values in addition to the marketable food and fiber products. The aim of this research is to suggest policy mechanisms to advance the sustainability of agriculture in Israel. This stage of the research focused on the implementation of such mechanisms in specific regions, following a more general nationwide evaluation and policy means. The research was conducted in the Jesreel Valley and the Judea mountain and South Sharon regions.
The research included meetings with relevant Ministries and public organizations, in order to test the acceptance and feasibility of the suggested policies. An economic analysis was conducted in order to assess whether the proposed instruments might motivate farmers to sustain the agricultural cultivation.
Important means to sustain agriculture in Israel, are financial support of land cultivation (payment per hectare of cultivated land) and income insurance, which insures the farmer against drastic changes in prices of the agricultural products. It is suggested that the proposed support will be managed by an insurance fund, that will support the farmers according to individual agreements and environmental obligations that the farmer will take upon himself.
