The war is harming Israel’s food security and agriculture

By now, it has become clear that the ongoing Swords of Iron war has inflicted a severe blow to Israel’s agricultural sector and food security. A recently released supplement to Leket Israel’s Annual Food Waste and Rescue Report notes that food waste surged dramatically in the war’s first six months, costing the Israeli economy approximately NIS 1 billion ($275 million). While the news focuses very heavily on describing the toll of war measured in lives lost and homes destroyed, the devastation also extends to one of our most fundamental needs: food.

Over the last 11 months, we’ve seen vegetable prices jump by 18 percent and fruit prices by 12%, due to agricultural shortages. It’s hard to understate the impact of these rising costs — especially for those already struggling with food insecurity. The numbers are staggering; over 150,000 tons of produce, valued at roughly NIS 670 million ($185 million), has gone to waste since the war began. What used to be a strong agricultural sector is now crippled, and the ripple effects are being felt at grocery stores and on family dinner tables across the country. They are having an even deeper effect on those who were struggling to put food on the table in the first place.

With 75% of Israel’s produce grown in the Gaza envelope or the northern border, the losses should come as no surprise. About 40% of the agricultural workforce — Palestinian and foreign workers included — has been lost, causing more waste as fewer hands are available to harvest the crops. In fact, the war has pushed the rate of food waste in agriculture from 9% to 22%.

There’s no quick fix to these agricultural shortages, and the government’s attempts to import produce and new foreign workers have not solved the problem of soaring prices. In some ways, these measures may have exacerbated the challenges. We cannot keep relying on imported food as a substitute for the abundance Israel can — and must — produce. The long-term risk is clear: weakening our own agriculture leaves us vulnerable in future crises.

Leket Israel, the food rescue organization I founded over 20 years ago, has been doing everything in its power to mitigate this crisis. Since the outbreak of the war, over 70,000 volunteers from Israel and around the world have stepped up to help rescue over 35,000 tons of produce, worth about NIS 160 million ($50 million). Their efforts have helped reduce food waste, but these acts of goodwill are only a stopgap measure in what is an overwhelming situation.

It’s not just farmers who are hurting. The cost of food waste extends beyond the economic and environmental realms — it’s a public health issue, too. Higher prices for fruit and vegetables make healthy eating a luxury that many families simply can’t afford. The result? Higher rates of food insecurity, which translates to increased long-term healthcare costs.

The numbers are real. The impact is real. We are witnessing the erosion of our food security in real time. And this crisis has brought to light a need that can no longer be ignored: systematic policy changes to protect our agricultural sector, ensure food availability, and prevent waste — especially in times of crisis.

I couldn’t say it better than our CEO, Gidi Kroch, who said, “The war has caused severe damage to Israeli agriculture, and its consequences will be felt for many years to come.” He was right. We must strengthen local agriculture, invest in technologies that can help farmers work more efficiently, and educate the public on healthy food consumption. Now is the time for bold steps, not piecemeal solutions.

Israel is at a crossroads. The Swords of Iron war has exposed vulnerabilities in our food supply chain that we can no longer afford to ignore. It is time to prioritize local agriculture, support our farmers, and craft policies that build national resilience. Food security is not just an economic issue — it’s a matter of survival. If we fail to act now, the costs, both human and economic, will only grow larger.