Israel initiates first National Food Security plan

For the first time in its history, Israel is working to ensure food security in the country. As such, Israel’s Ministry of Agriculture said that it is “changing its face and focusing its mission” in a new way and, in cooperation with other ministries, is developing a proposal for a national plan to that end.

To emphasise the importance of this, the ministry intends to change its name to “Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.”

The ministry said that in the coming days it will submit a decision-making proposal for the Government’s approval to formulate a national plan for food security that will include the formulation of goals for the supply of food to the entire population until the year 2050, with intermediate goals for the years 2030 and 2040.

The ministry’s proposal suggests that a national plan on food security be formulated and submitted for Government approval within 180 days, led by the Ministry of Agriculture and in cooperation with the relevant government ministries, where the goal is to ensure local food production capacity and a regular food supply of healthy and affordable food for the medium and long term, in quantity, quality , diversity and physical and economic accessibility that will enable a healthy lifestyle for the entire population in Israel, while promoting agriculture, local food industries and sustainable and climate-adapted food systems.

For the purpose of formulating the plan, an inter-ministerial work team will be established, headed by the Director General of the Ministry of Agriculture, with the participation of representatives of the relevant government ministries, including: the National Security Headquarters, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Economy and Industry, the Ministry of Environmental Protection, the Ministry of Housing and Construction, the Ministry of Welfare and many other ministries.

(with inputs from ANI)