Israel | Locust farming

2026 Top Agri-food Pioneers: Dror Tamir

Dror Tamir is a visionary leader who is transforming the world’s most destructive agricultural pest into its most sustainable and nutrient-dense protein source. As founder and chief executive officer of the global leader in commercial locust farming, he spearheaded the transition of locust rearing from a wild-harvesting tradition to a high-tech, scalable industrial category. Under his leadership, Tamir secured over $10 million in funding and led his team to develop the first-of-its-kind automated vertical farming technology. This system enables year-round, climate-resilient production of a complete protein that uses 95% less water and land than traditional livestock. His pursuit of excellence has been validated by over 20 prestigious international innovation awards. Driven by a profound commitment to global food security, his vision extends to the empowerment of smallholder farmers in Africa and Asia by designing decentralized, tech-enabled farming models for vulnerable communities.