Israel’s kibbutz are agriculture-based communities.
The first kibbutz was established almost a century ago, and back then it was considered a revolutionary idea to have a group of people living voluntarily together, all adhering to a social contract that has been based on communal and egalitarian principles.
Kibbutz operate with a premise that all the income generated by it, as well as its members, are shared collectively. The money is then used to operate the Kibbutz, and make any necessary investments. They all have the same budget which is determined based on family size, though the entire Kibbutz operates with a direct participatory democracy.
A Kibbutz can have members ranging from 100, to as much as a thousand. There are many other facets of a Kibbutz, but primarily they have strong ideological beliefs and are always interested in helping to build the country.
Modern Kibbutzim in The Time of Cannabis
In current times, Israel is already considered one of the world’s leaders within the global cannabis space.
They were one of the first countries to legalize the medicinal use of cannabis, and have been at the forefront of research for many years up to present day. Israel just recently decrimalized cannabis possession as well.
Cannabis has also caught the eye of kibbutz members, and now they are interested in planting marijuana instead of corn, olives, or wheat. In fact, a great deal of the kibbutzim in Israel have already pivoted to cannabis; some of the early adaptors have done so back in 2008 yet though others waited until 2016 to apply for a preliminary permit from the Israeli Ministry of Health. It just seems like a natural turn of events since Israel already has thousands of educated farmers because of the kibbutz system, as well as sophisticated R&D, cannabis startups, and excellent weather for growing cannabis.
Nowadays, while those who founded the kibbutz movement didn’t anticipate that they would eventually head towards big businesses, cannabis has become both important and a lucrative part of modern day Israeli society. According to Prohibition Partners, in 2020 there were already 60,000 Israeli cannabis patients though they weren’t growing their own cannabis until the last few years because the government finally allowed them to export medical marijuana.
It makes sense, since the kibbutzim was severely affected by the financial crisis that hit the 1980’s; many of the young members were forced to go into the cities and say goodbye to their socialist traditions. They had to receive different salaries, but eventually, most of the over 200 kibbutz have been able to survive.
Now there are several kibbutzim that have embraced growing marijuana.
However, the roadblock is still financial; to become a licensed cannabis grower and to succeed in the market, you need serious capital for vertical integration. Growing cannabis to be successful isn’t just like growing lemons or any other fruit; it requires deep investments and this is true for anyone who wants to grow it anywhere else in the globe, not just Israel.
Since Israel is in the forefront of research and development, and is home to numerous startups that are focused on cannabis, it has enabled the kibbutzim to get a helping hand from investors – local or otherwise. Back in 2019, Seedo Corp. partnered with Kibbutz Dan, located in Northern Israel, to develop the first automated cannabis farm. It would be made to operate on a commercial scale and without the use of pesticides. Seedo, a leading tech company that specializes in developing indoor, automated and controlled growing machines to support the agriculture industry, has been working with farmers to generate large yields of lab-grade vegetables that’s free from pesticides.
The partnership seeks to produce at least 14 tons of cannabis bud within the first 36 months, which would then earn them a revenue of around $24 million dollars.
Also in 2019, Kanabo Partners, an Israeli cannabis tech firm, partnered with Kibbutz Gezer to create a medical cannabis cultivation facility. Kibbutz Gezer was originally established by US immigrants, and is located near the Israeli central coast which has all the ideal conditions for growing cannabis: low humidity, optimal temperatures, and long daylight. Kibbutz Gezer made for an appropriate partner since it already has two cannabis licenses: one for cultivation while the other is for the development of new strains.
Through the partnership, Kanabo would be allowed to continue developing and commercializing patented formulations and its vaporizer platform so that patients in Europe and Israel can benefit from these easy to use consumption methods that don’t require smoking.
“Kibbutz Gezer is looking forward to beginning our cooperation with Kanabo. We believe that medical cannabis is at the forefront of organic medical solutions to numerous medical issues, and with our new partners we can contribute to ease suffering worldwide. We are in the process of obtaining necessary building permits for the greenhouses and support structures in order to meet the very strict standards the government has instituted. The members of our community are anxious to begin growing while strengthening ties with Kanabo,” said Laura Spector, of Kibbutz Gezer.
Conclusion
So many other companies these days are already scouting kibbutzim, seeking business opportunities. The kibbutzim are perfect partners for companies in the cannabis space, and they can also help save money from water, security, or transport. Overall, it looks like there are bright days ahead for Israel’s kibbutzim
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