TELL ME, DID YOU GIVE UP ON YOUR AGRO SECTOR?

by Dr. Nimrod

FOR AGES, PEOPLE THOUGHT THAT –

It is impossible to fly.

Today we fly higher and faster than birds.

It is impossible to travel distances faster than a horse gallop.

Today we drive much faster to greater distances.

It is impossible to reach the moon and stars.

Years ago, we already walked on the moon, and we are getting ready to reach Mars.

They would starve to death if they did not grow their food.

Today most of the world’s population does not grow any food.

You have to have a river, spring, or a well next to you to drink.

Today most people have access to a 24/7 water source in the house, a faucet.

In the summer it’s hot, and in the winter it’s cold.

Today we use air conditioners to control our environment.

The only way of talking or seeing each other is by a face-to-face meeting.

Today with electronic communication, we can speak and see anybody, anywhere, anytime.

For light, we needed fire.

Today we light all places without fire.

Smallpox is an incurable disease.

Today this disease has been eradicated.

To control fruit flies (and other pests), we mast spray chemicals and still suffer an infestation.

Today farmers can control fruit flies without sprays and get better results.

What do YOU still view as impossible?  A BIOFEED STORYThirteen years ago, I recruited an R&D manager for Biofeed.Shortly after starting her job, she informed me that one of the goals was impossible to achieve.I told her that I didn’t like her to use “impossible.” Then we had a meeting and gave several possible solutions.A short time passed, and I got another call from my R&D manager. In a confident voice, she tells me, “Nimrod, this goal is impossible to achieve.”This time I got furious, and in response, I said, “Next time you use the word Impossible, you’re fired.”Since then, many years have passed, Biofeed has overcome many challenges, developed many solutions and products, and the word “impossible” has never been repeated.When we had a meeting two weeks ago, she said, “I learned from you that there is nothing impossible.” I smiled with an overjoyed feeling.  A JOURNEY TO THE FUTUREHistory teaches us that when we say “It is impossible,” we eventually get it done, often far better than we could imagine.YES, sometimes it takes years to turn the impossible into the possible, but eventually, we get it done.How do we do it?We get it done because the most critical step in achieving a goal we “dream” about is to wish it exists or wish it is done.If you can “wish” or “dream” it, you can do it.When you say, “I can’t do it,” you mean, “I can’t do it, but I wished I had it.”Sooner or later, someone else, unaware that “this is Impossible,” would provide the desired solution.

If you want to know what future developments would be like, you need to ask yourself –

“What do people think or say that it is Impossible? Or, what do people say is “Possible,” but deep inside they believe it is impossible, so they are not really committed to pursuing it?”

Let’s take a tour in our future. We will do it by making a shortlist of today’s global “Impossibilities.”

For your convenience, mark which of the statements YOU view as “impossible” (Agree/Disagree).

IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO –

Stop global warming. Agree/Disagree

Stop hunger. Agree/Disagree

Have modern lives without using fossil fuels. Agree/Disagree

Work is possible from the office/factory only. Agree/Disagree

Reach stars farther away than Mars. Agree/Disagree

Grow enough food for the fast-growing global population. Agree/Disagree

Decrease the death rate from Malaria by 90%. Agree/Disagree

Decrease the number of wars by 90%. Agree/Disagree

Stop the disappearance of living species. Agree/Disagree

Stop the disappearance of bees and the rainforests. Agree/Disagree

Have effective crop protection without sprays. Agree/Disagree

Have profitable agriculture without polluting fertilizers. Agree/Disagree

Africa would become the food barn of the world. Agree/Disagree

How many of the above did you mark – “Agree” (Impossible)?

Five? Maybe three or two? Or was it zero, meaning you think they are all possible?

Now that we agreed that all or most of THE GLOBAL challenges are possible to achieve, please tell me if you think the below shortlist is impossible.

Is it impossible for emerging economies to transform from Traditional Agriculture into Advanced Agriculture?

Is it impossible to feed the world without chemicals filling our food chain and risking our health and environment?

Is it impossible that farming would be a solid economic engine of your economy?

IT’S ALL ABOUT ATTITUDE

I believe that we can achieve what we want if we cooperate and are not scared to do what it takes.

Often, like in global challenges, we don’t have the privilege of “not cooperating and trying.”

You may not succeed in reaching your goal as fast as you hoped for, but you fail only when you give up trying.

In this spirit and thanks to the above attitude, I founded Biofeed 18 years ago. Biofeed is dedicated to developing non-spraying crop protection solutions, and their application protocols.

Biofeed did pretty well and manage to develop a series of solutions, ten times more effective than sprays, for six of the top damaging economic fruit flies of Asia, Africa, Europe, and Australia.

For someone raised thinking that “chemical sprays would solve all our problems,” this is hard to believe or accept. At the same time, I am glad to know it is hardly the beginning!

The goal I set for Dream Valley National Export Program, i.e., Dream Valley, is to help emerging economies turn their agro sector into an advanced export-oriented, highly profitable agro-industry.

Why “export”?

Export is an indicator that what you produce is of high quality and that there is a global demand for it.

It also assures that there will be a significant (ready to pay) market expecting those produce. However, it doesn’t mean that you don’t or can’t market part of the production in the home country.

START WITH THE “WHY”

For me, everything is about people.

Biofeed focuses on enabling people (farmers) access to eco-friendly crop protection techniques that keep consumers’ (us) healthy and the environment intact.

We know that the life span of people in emerging economies is much shorter than those in developed economies. Higher-income means better health and longer life, amongst other benefits.

Hence, Dream Valley focuses on enabling farmers to increase their income continuously.

Higher-income = longer life span. Dream Valley saves lives. Dream Valley’s mission is –

Dream Valley cares about the Farmers as much as it cares about the Environment and Consumers. They are connected, and each impacts the others.

Farmers’ income, low or high, impacts the national economy directly and indirectly.

Therefore, the government’s responsibility and best interest are to lead a national change enabling continuous farmers’ income increase.

The POSSIBLE way to do it is through a NATIONAL PROGRAM.

To turn agriculture from a national burden into a national asset, there is a need for a NATIONAL PROGRAM.

Such a program would result from a tailor-made strategic plan and a dedicated business model, as described in my previous column.

ALL IS POSSIBLEIt is POSSIBLE to bridge the chasm stretched between today’s state and the one we dream about.Dream Valley is designed to lead the country’s decision-makers, field experts, and farmers, through the entire transformation process, from field to market, until success is achieved.Dream Valley understands the (natural) fear of failure (“it is impossible to do it”) and is ready to share risk and success. This way, everybody is aligned and rewarded for reaching the same “dream” goals.We understand that this is a long-term commitment, one we are ready to take and don’t intend to fail.Dream Valley would tailor-made a dedicated program per country, crop, and project to achieve the agreed goals.Each program would have its dedicated Package (technologies, experts, services, etc.), which Dream Valley would provide and subsidize.Dream Valley’s business model is based on the field-proven successful Israeli model but tailor-made per client and country. Don’t hesitate to contact me for more information or discuss this concept and attitude.

TAKEAWAYS» “I CAN’T DO IT” IS NOT “IMPOSSIBLE.” If you can’t do it, find someone else who can.» POOR FARMERS OR UNDEVELOPED agro sector is not the farmers’ problem but a national one.» EMERGING ECONOMIES’ way forward is through dedicated National Programs based on the foundations of advanced business models.» DREAM VALLEY CAN help you turn IMPOSSIBLE into POSSIBLE.

If you enjoyed the article please share it with friends & colleagues.