Food waste has incurred an estimated cost of NIS 1 billion ($275 million) to the Israeli economy during the first six months of the ongoing conflict with Hamas, according to a report released on Sunday. This assessment, presented in a new chapter of the annual Food Waste and Rescue Report, was conducted by Leket Israel, the National Food Bank, in collaboration with BDO consultants and the Environmental Protection Ministry.
The report highlights a significant rise in food waste, with 22 percent of fruit and vegetable produce being discarded between October and April. This is a stark increase from the 9 percent waste rate observed during the same period prior to the war.
Factors contributing to this waste include war-related damage, restricted access to agricultural fields, and a 40 percent reduction in farmworkers. These issues have led to notable shortages in agricultural produce, contributing to an 18 percent increase in vegetable prices and a 12 percent rise in fruit prices.
Gidi Kroch, CEO of Leket Israel, criticized the government’s policy of increasing fruit and vegetable imports rather than supporting local agriculture. He emphasized the need to bolster local farming as a critical measure for ensuring food security and strengthening national resilience.
The conflict has resulted in the departure of thousands of foreign farm laborers and restricted the entry of many Palestinian workers into Israel. Without the efforts of hundreds of thousands of volunteers who helped rescue over 35,000 tons of agricultural produce, the food waste rate could have reached 25 percent, the study noted. Currently, the report is available only in Hebrew.
Leket Israel, among other organizations, mobilized 70,000 volunteers from both domestic and international communities to assist farmers. The organization rescues edible food that would otherwise be wasted and distributes it through approximately 200 nonprofit entities.
Israel’s agricultural sector encompasses over 2.5 million dunams (10 million acres) of land dedicated to growing fruits, vegetables, and field crops. Approximately 20 percent of this land lies near the Gaza border, which has been largely inaccessible since October 7, when Hamas launched a major attack resulting in 1,200 deaths and the abduction of 251 individuals.
Additionally, 10 percent of Israel’s agricultural land is situated near the northern border with Lebanon, an area frequently targeted by Iranian-backed Hezbollah forces. Recent Hezbollah rocket attacks, including one that killed 12 children and teenagers in Majdal Shams on the Golan Heights, have heightened concerns of an expanded conflict.
The report estimates the total cost of food waste at NIS 1 billion by breaking it down into NIS 670 million ($185 million) for food that would have otherwise been utilized, NIS 135 million ($35 million) in environmental costs such as fuel and fertilizers for wasted produce, and NIS 210 million ($60 million) in projected additional healthcare costs due to the consumption of less nutritious food.
Chen Herzog, Chief Economist at BDO and editor of the chapter, underscored the urgency of increasing agricultural production, addressing labor shortages, and incentivizing support for Israeli agriculture as the nation seeks to recover from the impacts of the conflict.
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