Food Security in Israel: Challenges and Policies

Abstract

This article analyzes Israel’s food security in comparison to other developed countries, using multiple indicators divided into four sections: food availability, food affordability, food quality and safety, and natural resources and resilience. Overall, the state of food security in Israel is better than in most countries, but the threats to food security arising from the triple risk of climate change, international conflicts, and disruptions in global supply chains, require better preparation for the future. Israel’s population growth and the slowdown in the growth rate of its agricultural production, as well as the short-term political desire to reduce prices, are leading the country to increasingly rely on food imports. Such imports expose Israel to even greater global risks, and require the formulation of a risk-management strategy that will balance local production and imports. The global triple risk to food security is currently exacerbated for Israel by the risk of shortage of labor due to the security situation, making this risk-management strategy even more necessary. This calls for the establishment of a governmental authority to oversee the formulation of a long-term food-security strategy, to break it down into feasible objectives and policy measures, and to supervise their implementation. Most importantly, in order to maintain and perhaps even enhance the productive capacity of the agricultural sector, the government must reinstall trust between farmers and the state by establishing a stable long-term policy environment.

Agro waste reinforcement of metal matrix composites, a veritable sustainable engineering achievement, or an effort in futility? A critical review

“…However, recent reports suggest that annual production is already at an alarming figure of 998 million tonnes [9]. This emphasizes the urgent need for global attention to agro waste (AW) management, especially amid the global food crises exacerbated by the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic [10][11][12], the conflicts between Russia and Ukraine [13][14][15], Israel and Hamas [16], and several other socio-economic issues contributing to food shortages worldwide. Undoubtedly, implementing effective and sustainable management practices for these wastes is essential.…”