This is the fourth installation; read his earlier pieces “Food Is a Necessity — Before, During and After the War,” “Agriculture Is Just Like Water and Electricity,” and “Where Did Your Tomato Come From?”
Often overlooked in peacetime, food rescue (saving food before it goes to waste) can prove critical in times of war. According to a 2022 report by Leket Israel, about 40 percent of the food produced in Israel is discarded. A third is discarded during manufacturing and sent to landfills due to pests, disease, and damage caused by climate hazards like heat waves. A large quantity is also lost on its way from the manufacturer or packing house to the market, as well as in households. The annual cost of food waste is estimated at more than 20 billion NIS (5.3 billion USD).
The importance of food rescue has become even more evident during the war. Leket Israel, for example, saves more than 26,000 tons of produce annually and Food Rescuers, an NGO operating out of Jerusalem’s wholesale market, saves at least 1 ½ tons of food from the market each day. Lately, these organizations and others have substantially expanded their operations.
There are also new initiatives: in Israel’s north, leading figures from the local culinary industry founded MeAdama LeAdam, which collects produce intended for disposal, such as sweet potato leaves or damaged apples, and uses it to make high-quality fermented and pickled products.
These NGOs do not receive support from the state. In fact, Israel has no legislation to prevent food waste, or regulation that makes sure the rescued food reaches those in need. About half of food in the Western world is lost, but many countries have passed laws aimed at changing this. In France, for example, supermarkets are required to donate edible food intended for disposal. In 2019, the UK passed a series of laws to minimize food waste all along the manufacturing and marketing chain, using tax deductions as a tool for encouraging food donations.
In Israel, food rescue initiatives, combined with regulation, could be used to improve food security and save 20 billion NIS (5.3 billion USD) a year.
What can we do?
We need legislation to minimize food waste and encourage donations to those in need. Besides incentives, such legislation should penalize those who waste. Just like manufacturers are required by law to treat their electronic waste, the food world should take responsibility — if you sell bread to a supermarket, you must make sure any surplus isn’t going to waste (for example, it could be sold to underprivileged populations at a discount, or be donated).