Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, MK Avi Dichter: “Protein from the sea or from water is a significant component of food security in the Red Sea, as well as in the Mediterranean Sea and in fish ponds across the country. To grow a lot of fish, which provide a lot of protein, you don’t need a lot of water, but mainly a lot of R&D and entrepreneurship, and the use of AI tools to turn a pond into a reservoir, a reservoir into a sea, and a sea into an ocean. Together with my colleagues in the government, Minister of the Negev, Galilee and National Resilience MK Yitzhak Wasserlauf and Minister of Regional Cooperation Mr. Dudi Amsalem, we initiated the conference in Eilat, which is attended by people from all over the world, including ministers and professional delegations, to cooperate and share knowledge in building a better future for food security in Israel and around the world. There is no doubt that the potential of water is in the sky, the knowledge that Israel has and the experience in the world will connect at the conference in Eilat. Good luck to all.”
Minister of the Negev, Galilee and National Resilience, MK Yitzhak Wasserlauf: “The Ministry of the Negev, Galilee and National Resilience is leading a multi-year government program for the development of Eilat and the Eilot region as a national and international hub for food production from the sea and the desert. In the Eilat-Eilot region, advanced research is being conducted in the fields of marine agriculture and biotechnology, renewable energy, and marine research. The Sea the Future 2026 conference will present the cooperation between all active parties in the Negev, as part of strengthening it, and with the aim of strengthening farmers, researchers, authorities, and serving as a global attraction, thanks to the potential that may bring aquaculture to a central part of future food security.”
In a world where the effects of climate change are worsening, and the population continues to grow, food production systems must also adapt to changing needs. The local aquaculture industry is a small industry that has been gaining momentum in recent years, thanks to its immense potential as a sustainable, nutritious, and efficient source of protein, which can become a central part of future food security. This month (January), the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and the Ministry of the Negev, Galilee and National Resilience will hold the international conference Sea the Future 2026 in Eilat. The conference will focus on research, innovation, technology, and development in the field of food security from aquaculture.
The conference, which is held as part of a multi-year government decision to develop the city of Eilat and the Eilot region, is intended to serve as a professional platform for meetings between researchers, farmers, professionals, industry representatives, and entrepreneurs from Israel and around the world. This way, Israeli agriculture can be promoted, national and international collaborations can be created, and the link between research, development, and application in the field of aquaculture can be strengthened. International delegations from countries interested in technological and research cooperation will attend the conference, including: the Ministers of Agriculture and Fisheries of India, Azerbaijan, Albania, and Ghana, the Deputy Minister of Agriculture of Georgia, and professional delegations from Romania and Morocco.
During the three days of the conference, a wide range of Israeli startup technologies in the field, groundbreaking research, and professional panels of industry leaders will be presented. Among the topics: marine agriculture, advanced marine technologies, innovation and policy in the field of seafood, development of sustainable marine food systems, and research and technological cooperation. In addition, the national food security program, formulated by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security after a work process involving government ministries, associations, and organizations, and recently including the incorporation of public comments, will be presented.
The Eilat-Eilot region, characterized by a unique combination of sea, desert, and extreme climate conditions, is a natural environment for the development of applied and innovative research. Advanced research is conducted in this region in the fields of marine agriculture, marine biotechnology, renewable energy, and marine sciences, alongside research in oceanography (sea and ocean sciences) and limnology (lake and freshwater sciences). This activity contributes to the development of innovative solutions to address environmental, economic, and social challenges.
Director General of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Oren Lavi: “In an era where climate change and demographic growth pose unprecedented challenges to global food systems, we must look ahead and act today to promote aquaculture as a national infrastructure for a more secure future. In Israel, between the sea and the desert, a global model for food security, innovation, and research is emerging. At the Sea the Future 2026 conference, we will present the collaborations between government, research, and industry, and demonstrate how groundbreaking ideas become reality.”
Director General of the Ministry of the Negev, Galilee and National Resilience, Yochai Mali: “We are pleased to be partners with the Eilat Municipality and the Eilot Regional Council, along with the Ministry of Agriculture, in realizing the natural assets of the region – the sea, the desert, and the climate conditions – for the benefit of the farmers, researchers, and residents of the region. The international conference is another step that assists in the development of applied and innovative research that will lead to advanced solutions that will help address environmental, economic, and social challenges.”
The conference will be broadcast live on the Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube pages of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and the Ministry of the Negev, Galilee and National Resilience.
For more details about the conference, visit now: www.gov.il/he/departments/topics/sea_the_future_2026