US, Israel announce $70M fund for 'climate-smart agriculture' in Middle East, Africa

By Betul Yuruk

NEW YORK (AA) - US Vice President Kamala Harris announced a joint five-year initiative between the US and Israel on Wednesday in which they will invest a total of $70 million for ''food security and climate resilience initiatives'' in the Middle East and Africa.

Standing next to visiting Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Washington, Harris said ''each of our countries will invest $35 million, for a total of $70 million.''

''We will focus on bringing climate-smart agriculture and technology to the Middle East and to the continent of Africa,'' she said.

Harris said the new initiative will deploy Israeli and American technology to farmers and innovators.

''The type of work that we are talking about will range from the deployment of new water efficiency technologies to African farms to the expansion of access to mobile apps which allow, for example, farmers to monitor crop health and help increase food production as a result,'' she said.

''I truly believe that climate cooperation can be a major factor in realizing this vision of a renewable Middle East that supplies energy and enables nations to have food and water and the ability to function under such complicated circumstances of global climate challenge,'' said Herzog.