Evogene Ltd. (TASE: EVGN) was awarded first place by the Israel Institute for Occupational Safety and Hygiene (IIOSH) in a contest for safety and hygiene at work in the field of agriculture for the year 2011.

Evogene was chosen from among over 50 Israeli agricultural sites following a screening process that took place in the past year.

Evogene's company representatives received the award in a ceremony at the Knesset on January 24, 2012 in the presence of the Israeli Minister of Industry and Commerce, and the Chairman of the Knesset.

Compliance with safety criteria is a mandatory element of the ongoing work at Evogene; however Evogene goes a step beyond to ensure a safe work environment for its employees. Over the last year steps in this direction included construction of a new laboratory facility with unprecedented safety standards, ergonomic assessment of work stations, and the amounts of hazardous substances were reduced and replaced with safer alternatives.

Mr. Assaf Kacen, EVP of Technology Platformstated: "Evogene's Human Resource is its greatest asset and therefore Evogene places great emphasis and efforts on safety and welfare issues which allow the company to achieve its goals, while maintaining the security of workers and a safe work environment."