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THE INVISIBLE BONDS OF LIFE

 

"Human progress is driven by the forces of togetherness"

 

I was almost 19 years old when I climbed into the belly of a Hercules plane on a pitch-black night and sat beside my brothers-in-arms on a long bench. Twenty-five minutes after takeoff, we stood together, each holding onto the shoulder before him. The door of the plane opened to the outside darkness. The green light above the door blinked on, and one second later, the first parachutist jumped. One by one, the rest of us followed as if pulled by the gravity of that first leap, plunging from 1,200 feet into invisible nothing. I couldn’t see or hold onto anything, but the unseen forces that opened the parachute above me were real, very real, softly guiding me to the solid ground below.

That’s how it is with the most powerful and meaningful things in life—the ones that save you in the darkness of the night when you jump out of an airplane and the ones worth living for, like love and hope. You can’t see, hold, or trade them, but their impact is undeniable.


Just as unseen forces in physics hold the universe together, so too do the invisible bonds of feelings and emotions that form the foundation of societies and define their prosperity horizon.

 


The Quest


I set out with a clear mission: to help farmers improve their livelihoods while making consumers and the environment healthier. My tool in this mission was technology—breakthrough innovations and knowledge that I believed would change the world. By 2017, after a highly successful project in India, I thought I had achieved my goal. But that success only revealed a deeper problem.


Reality hit hard. Despite the technology's success and the doubling of yields, the farmers remained impoverished, and the methods used—providing the technology free of charge—were not scalable.


This challenged my worldview, as I grew up believing that technology was the key to solving human challenges. How could poverty persist, even when I provided the best technology for free? That was my eureka moment: technology alone couldn't solve poverty.

The real question became: what could? And, more broadly, why are smallholders impoverished?


My tools on this mission were a child's curiosity, an old man's suspicion, and the scientific method to explore every option.



Reflections on the Journey


As we reach the end of this journey, it is important to reflect on the depth and breadth of our quest to understand the root causes of poverty. This journey began with a search for the root cause of poverty, hoping it would reveal the path to prosperity. If we revisit the insights shared by colleagues, experts, and various stakeholders on why there is such a gap between farmers in developed and developing countries, we will find that we discussed the most common explanations and many more. I have spared no effort or theory in this quest for the root cause of poverty, and the journey only strengthens my confidence in the findings shared.

 


Progress


Three thousand five hundred years ago, at the foot of Mount Sinai, the Facebook of that time—inscribed on stone tablets—met with the symbol of social inequality: the enslaved Israelites. The underlying message engraved on the tablets was clear: humans are diverse and imperfect, yet the universal/God’s laws apply equally to all. Since then, technological progress has surged forward, especially in communication. From stone tablets to paper, the printing press, and now the smartphone, we've built tools that instantly transmit messages globally.


Yet, while technology advances at breakneck speed, social and organizational structures evolve slowly. It wasn't until 1865 that slavery was outlawed in the USA, yet it persists elsewhere, with over 49 million (2022) people still trapped in modern slavery. Gender inequality persists, and billions still suffer from discrimination based on race, religion, or class. These outdated systems mirror the social hierarchies of ancient times.


Three thousand five hundred years later, no one delivers messages by engraving them on stone, but slavery and inequality remain legacies of stagnant social structures. The gap between technological and social progress continues to trap millions. Bridging this gap is essential for achieving genuine human prosperity.

 


Feelings


Just as invisible forces hold atoms together to form molecules and larger structures, unseen forces bind individuals to form communities. If we look into an atom, we find vast amounts of "nothing"—empty space—yet this void is very real, holding everything we see and touch. In societies, emotions and feelings like love, belonging, brotherhood, and conscience act as unseen forces connecting people. Though intangible, their impact is undeniably real and powerful.


Advanced organizational structures allow these emotions to flourish. They create an environment where individuals can deeply connect, fostering feelings and trust that enable cooperation, collaboration, integration, etc.

In contrast, outdated structures foster inequality, exploitation, and division, stifling the development of these connections. This weakens the sense of togetherness, capping the community's ability to prosper.


The strength and number of these connections form the foundation of any organization, determining its progress and capacity to innovate, survive, and prosper. By nurturing these emotional bonds, we can build communities that thrive, regardless of their technological state.


Shared values, vision, and mission channel these emotions, allowing them to cut through barriers once thought impenetrable, like a focused beam of light. No matter how prosperous an organization is, it will eventually wither and disappear if it fails to cultivate and update its core values, vision, and mission.

 


Foresight


Foresight is key to sustainable prosperity. People tend to invest where risk is low, and outcomes are predictable—such as in fields like aviation, computing, and heavy industries. These fields attract investment and create high-added value for society. On the other hand, areas where outcomes are difficult to predict—like smallholder farming and social sciences—face stagnation due to uncertainty.


In sectors where outcomes are difficult to predict—such as smallholder farming and social sciences—stagnation often results from uncertainty. For smallholders, this uncertainty largely stems from the ecosystem and community structures that govern their economy. In contrast, the lack of agricultural knowledge and technology is often a secondary issue.


Unfortunately, due to a lack of understanding, the primary method used to solve poverty for centuries has been using agricultural tools—tools that work well in their intended contexts but fail when applied to social challenges.


Another aspect of foresight and prediction, also related to community structure, is that it is nearly impossible to predict an individual smallholder's exact future or agricultural results—much like we can't predict the precise position of a particle in an atom. However, when we zoom out and look at the community, organization, or society scale as a whole, predictability improves, becoming more manageable, similar to predicting the behavior of a group of atoms, where we can anticipate outcomes at larger scales.


The Prosperity Formula offers a tool for planning and predicting outcomes for social organizations based on the overall level of togetherness.

 


Universal Laws (The Solution)


Unlike predicting the future based on patterns or trial and error—which is often characterized by low predictability and certainty, especially under changing conditions—the Prosperity Formula is rooted in universal natural laws, providing a high degree of certainty in its predictions. It offers a methodical way to address the poverty of smallholders by focusing on organizational structures that anyone can develop. Like a building's foundation, the Formula emphasizes the importance of balanced socio-economic structures that foster human connection. Technology can enhance prosperity, but only within the limits set by the structure it operates within. It can assist but not replace the fundamental social bonds required to drive long-term prosperity.


If organizational structure represents the skeleton of a building—the foundations, walls, and roof—then technology is like plaster, paint, and furniture; it can improve the comfort of the house but cannot transform a hut into a villa. Only changes to the organizational structure can achieve that transformation.


This was demonstrated by the first Kibbutz, where a shift from a traditional village model to the Kibbutz structure turned a loss into profit within a year—an achievement smallholders worldwide have yet to experience.


 

Beyond Smallholders


Although my quest began with smallholders, the solutions are as universal as the natural laws the Prosperity Formula is based on. Its principles are not limited to lifting farmers; they can guide any organization, community, or society toward sustained prosperity.

 


Togetherness for Transformation


As this chapter of the quest to uncover the root causes of smallholders' poverty ends, I realize it is only the beginning of the next chapter. Smallholders remain impoverished despite technological advancements, and this calls for action. The path forward is clear: build communities and organizations on advanced organizational structures that improve their functionality and prosperity by strengthening the emotional and social bonds between individuals. By fostering shared values, vision, mission, trust, and care, we can create resilient and thriving societies capable of overcoming even the most impenetrable barriers.


 

The Well


In my search to understand the root causes of smallholder poverty, I discovered the incredible potential of the Kibbutz model for creating prosperity for smallholders worldwide. While I was studying this model, on October 7th, 2023, murderers attacked the peace-loving Kibbutzim, destroying dozens of vibrant rural communities. Yet, I believe the survivors, much like my mother and the other pioneers who endured the Holocaust, will rebuild even stronger and more resilient communities, drawing on the principles of togetherness that have always been at the heart of the Kibbutz. The principles of the Kibbutz model—togetherness, equality, collaboration, self-management, and more—offer not just a roadmap for smallholders but for any organization or society seeking long-term prosperity built on solid socio-economic foundations. To Kibbutz members, you are heroes; your resilience, vision, values, and unstoppable passion inspire a better world. Like Moses, leading with humility, you guide others without even realizing it.

 


What's Next?


The next step is to apply the knowledge, insights, and experience gained globally, expanding the vision of building networks and fostering cooperation worldwide—guided by principles from the Ltd-era, such as those of the Kibbutz. The technology is already here, but the real challenge lies in creating the socio-organization structures that can harness its power. As we move forward, our task is to weave more robust ecosystems and empower communities to go beyond mere survival, enabling them to thrive and prosper.


 

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If you enjoyed this column, please share it with a friend who will enjoy it too.

Dream Valley Fruit Export Program 2025 is now officially open for new exporters from developing economies who wish to export to Europe. Text me.

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More on the October 7th genocide in South Israel:

 

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Here are ways you can work with me to help your rural communities step forward to shift from poverty into ongoing prosperity:

* Nova Kibbutz and consultancy on rural communities' models.

 

* Local & National programs related to agro-produce export models - Dream Valley global vertical value and supply chain business model and concept connects (a) input suppliers with farmers in developing economies and (b) those farmers with consumers in premium markets.

 

* Crop protection: Biofeed, an eco-friendly zero-spray control technology and protocol.

 

 

If you got to here, read this column, and enjoyed it, please be nice to your friends, share it with them, or help them Subscribe.

"Mental and Economic Freedom Are Interconnected."

 

See you soon,

Nimrod



 





Dr. Nimrod Israely is the CEO and Founder of Dream Valley and Biofeed companies and the Chairman and Co-founder of the IBMA conference. +972-54-2523425 (WhatsApp), or email nisraely@biofeed.co.il

 

 

P.S.

If you missed it, here is a link to last week's blog, “Orchestrating A Symphony of Prosperity"

 

P.P.S.

OPEN BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES:

1)     Exporting fresh fruits from Africa to the EU under the Dream Valley regenerative protocol brand for the 2024 season.

2)     Joining the Nova-Kibbutz concept project or establishing a similar initiative in your region.

Kindly provide your background and credentials to receive tailored next-step instructions.

 

P.P.P.S.

Dream Valley is a field-proven disruptive business model based on the successful Israeli Model.

 

You can follow me on LinkedIn, YouTube, and Facebook. 

*This article addresses general phenomena. The mention of a country/continent is used for illustration purposes only.

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