Israel is becoming a tech powerhouse in two related fields: smart agriculture — how to grow food and preserve it — and developing food products such as meat-free protein alternatives. The researchers, many of them women, use novel tools in their efforts, such as 3D printing and nano-cellulose fibers.

One of the most complex problems in the agricultural production of foodstuffs is protecting crops from pests, contamination and rot and extending their shelf life as they are transported from the field to the customer at home. Food producers employ many different means to protect the produce, including spraying it with chemicals, deep freezing it, harvesting it early and ripening it quickly.

Yifat Hammer, the co-founder and general manager of an Israeli startup called Biotipac, has another technique she claims is friendly to the environment, the produce and the consumer. It makes use of “good” bacteria to extend the shelf life of the produce. The “good bacteria” preserves the food by taking the place of harmful bacteria. Refrigeration is not always necessary with this technique, which is also conducive to environmentally friendly packaging.

For her development, Hammer received first prize in the Women of Agri-Food Nation competition in Israel June 6. The competition is for women entrepreneurs using new technology in the fields of agriculture and food production. Its purpose is to spotlight products and companies in this field that are led by women and bring them to the attention of investors and the general public. This is the competition's second year and an extensive publicity campaign has attracted investors. Hammer won $200,000 for her company from the COPIA foundation, which invests in agriculture and food production.