The visit of IFA CEO Alzbeta Klein to the Haifa Group

Recently, the CEO of IFA - International Fertilizers Association, which unites over 450 producers from some 80 countries, visited in Israel. The CEO's, Ms. Alzbeta Klein, visited Israel to get to know advanced agricultural technologies and to explore possibilities for cooperation with Israeli companies.
The International Fertilizer Association (IFA) was founded in 1927, in purpose is to promote the efficient and responsible production, distribution and use of plant nutrients. This task is essential for a sustainable supply of food to the world's population. IFA represents suppliers of plant nutrition solutions, and brings together companies engaged in fertilizer production, trade, and distribution, along with service providers to industry, research organizations, Agtech start-ups and non-governmental organizations.
The aim of Ms. Klein’s visit was to gain acquaintance with advanced Israel agricultural technologies and to examine possibilities for cooperation with local companies - old companies as well as start-up ones. The background for this visit was the understanding that the adoption and implementation of advanced agricultural technologies is necessary to cope with the global challenge of maintaining food security.
The growth of the global population and an increase in the standard of living lead to a constant increase in the demand for high-quality agricultural products, while high-quality water and lands available for agriculture become scarce. This reality imposes challenges for global agriculture, which is required to carry on providing plant produce and maintaining the world’s food security. Climate change, geopolitical effects of regional wars and the expansion of taxation in global trade also pose challenges.
Precise fertilization is a very important factor for the grower's success in growing and supplying the agricultural produce, while the demand for sustainability requires extreme care for efficient and non-polluting fertilization. The key to bridging the existing gaps between the necessity of fertilization and the need to prevent waste and pollution is in innovation and technologies that promote precise plant feeding.
Ms. Klein's visit to Israel was comprehensive and lasted a week, during which she toured the offices of SNC (Startup Nation Central), which connects the Israeli high-tech industry with organizations and investors from around the world, and Ben-Gurion University. She also met with companies in the fields of agriculture and food, including a visit at Haifa Group’s main production facility in Mishor Rotem, near Dimona.
Haifa Group is a pioneer and global leader in the field of plant nutrition, specializing in solutions that combine premium products, knowledge and technology - expert software available for farmers and agronomists worldwide. Haifa Group produces mainly in Israel and distributes its products worldwide through 17 subsidiaries.
During her visit to the Haifa Negev plant, Ms. Klein met with the groups CEO Mr. Motti Levin, as well as with Mr. Natan Feldman, VP of Marketing & Business Development, who also serves as the IFA Ambassador in Israel, and with the VP of Operations, Ms. Sharon Eyal.
During the visit, the CEO of IFA was presented with the scope of growth and the extensive investments in the production capacity of the Haifa Group, development that was made while investing hundreds of millions of dollars in improving the environmental aspects of production.
The highlight of the development at the production site is an ammonia production facility, which is planned to start operating at the end of 2024, and is a significant breakthrough for the Israeli economy. During the tour, investments in additional means of production and logistics were presented - a modern and advanced packaging system and a train terminal which will be part of the transportation array. Local production of ammonia and transportation of produce to the port by rail will significantly reduce the number of trucks carrying goods and raw materials on Israel's busy roads. The investment plan in the energy sector of the production plant was also presented, which includes the construction of a solar field that will be integrated into the energy balance of the plant.
"We presented to Ms. Klein Haifa Group’s vision of precise plant nutrition", says Motti Levin. "Also, we proudly presented the measures and investments that the company has made to satisfy the growing demand for its solutions in the world, and to respond to the challenges of future agriculture. I have no doubt that Haifa's solutions can be meaningful and accessible to a more farmers all over the world, for the benefit of efficient production of quality food with a positive environmental impact, which is the key to fighting world hunger."
Ms. Klein stated that "the scale of the investment and expansion efforts at the Haifa Group's production site is exceptional in its scope among the association's members in developed countries."