Final answer:
The phrase 'growing food in a desert country' is a gerund phrase used in the sentence to discuss agricultural methods in Israel. It highlights Israel's innovations in agriculture and water conservation in arid conditions.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the sentence 'In Israel, farmers use innovative agricultural methods to meet the difficulties of growing food in a desert country,' the phrase 'growing food in a desert country' functions as a gerund phrase. A gerund phrase consists of a gerund, which is a verb ending in -ing that functions as a noun, and any modifiers or objects associated with it. In this case, 'growing' is the gerund, 'food' is the direct object of the action of growing, and 'in a desert country' is a prepositional phrase modifying the gerund to explain where the food is being grown.
Israel is known for its water conservation techniques such as fertigation and for growing crops like bananas in conditions that require efficient use of limited water resources. Meanwhile, irrigated drylands, like those in California's Great Central Valley, demonstrate how innovative agricultural practices can substantially boost productivity in arid regions.