The Center for Sustainable Agriculture, directed by Dr. Elaine Solowey, is a vital player in the field of desert agriculture and sustainable agriculture in the Middle East and the world. The Center is dedicated to the investigation and preservation of arid lands and their natural resources, and works collaboratively with Ben-Gurion University, Jacob Blaustein Institute for Desert Research at Sde Boqer, the Department of Applied Research, and others.  

The Center houses a variety of research programs in desert agriculture, medicinal plants, crop genetics, efficient irrigation and bio-fuel programs. Dr. Elaine Solowey's research covers a wide range of subjects from the study of endangered medicinal herbs to the search for plants that can be grown in marginal and arid areas using underutilized water resources (for the production of ethanol or biodiesel) - from the study of biblical plants native to southern Israel and Jordan to her ongoing research for crops suitable for arid and saline lands.