BARD, the U.S.-Israel Binational Agricultural Research and Development Fund, is pleased to announce the recipients of eight grants aimed at enhancing nutritional security through collaborative Israel-U.S. research, with a total program investment of 4 million NIS.
The Nutritional Security program comes within BARD’s ongoing efforts to support research and development in food and nutrition. The program prioritizes personalized nutrition, consumer habit changes, and promoting healthy food choices.
Key awarded projects will include investigating the effectiveness of “prescribing produce” for nutritionally-insecure diabetics; the impact of micro- and nano-plastics on biological systems; the interactions between food processing levels; nutrition quality, nutrition security and anxiety in adults.
Researchers will also study the postharvest supply chain effects on folate-biofortified tomatoes, and the health benefits of the emerging fruit crop, red pitaya (also known as Dragon fruit). Additional initiatives include optimizing the production of various crops through the use of advanced tools for inspection, growth and control, aimed at enhancing the nutritional value of crop production under diverse environmental conditions.
Prof. Yoram Kapulnik, BARD’s Executive Director, emphasized: “Nutritional security is a paramount concern at both personal and national levels. This program represents a tremendous opportunity to broaden our understanding and push the boundaries of research and development in the field. We are committed to implementing innovative practices to ensure a stable and safe food supply in both countries.”
Prof. Kapulnik also expressed BARD’s gratitude to the Israeli Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Technology for their support of this program, which is run in collaboration with USDA-NIFA and the Israeli ministry: “Through these joint efforts, we aim to enhance nutritional security measures for our diets, employing state-of-the-art science to deliver significant benefits across both nations.”
Click here for full list of approved projects: BARD Approved Projects Nutritional Security.pdf
