Israel shifts toward food self-reliance amid boycotts and global supply challenges

Israel’s Agriculture and Food Security Ministry has established a national strategic system to monitor potential risks in food imports. The decision comes amid growing boycott calls against Israel and a growing recognition that the nation must reduce its reliance on imported food products. The effects of climate change have reportedly also been a factor in the creation of the monitoring system.

While Israel has domestic food production, it remains heavily dependent on imports. For example, the country imports over 90% of its fish and grains, as well as about 80% of its legumes, peanuts, nuts, and oilseeds. Approximately 60% of all beef consumed in Israel is also imported.

Yuval Lipkin, head of the Israeli Food Security Administration, stressed that Israel is shifting from a reactive to a preventive approach in its food security planning.

“The goal is to prepare for the next crisis before it begins, shifting from a reactive approach to a preventive approach based on data and forecasts,” Lipkin explained.

The ministry plans to draft a national food security plan in the coming days, which will be published on the Agriculture Ministry’s website for public comment.

In May 2024, Turkey announced that it would halt all trade with Israel due to the ongoing war in Gaza. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, a vocal supporter of Hamas, has even denied that the group is a terrorist organization. Before the trade ban, Israel imported approximately $5 billion worth of goods from Turkey each year, including agricultural and energy products.

However, not all of Israel’s food supply vulnerabilities are tied to the ongoing war with Hamas in Gaza. The Israeli food industry relies heavily on Ukrainian imports of barley, soybean and corn products.

The war between Ukraine and Russia has also caused a global grain shortage, as both countries are major exporters of agricultural goods. Often referred to as the “breadbasket of the world,” Ukraine and Russia together account for roughly one-third of global wheat and barley exports.

Israeli agriculture has been negatively affected by the war in Gaza, as many of the country’s agricultural products are produced in communities near the border that were attacked by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023. In November, the price of olive oil surged by 25% due to the combined impact of the war and a drought that significantly reduced local production.