A Decade of Waste: Billions Lost, Solutions Emerging – Haaretz

Report on Food Waste and Rescue in Israel: A Decade in Review

Introduction: Economic, Social, and Environmental Impacts

The 10th Annual Food Waste and Rescue Report, a collaboration between Leket Israel, BDO, the Ministry of Environmental Protection, and the Ministry of Health, reveals a significant national challenge with profound implications for Israel’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Over the past decade, food loss and waste have amounted to an economic cost of 211 billion shekels. In 2024 alone, 2.6 million tons of food, valued at 26.2 billion shekels, were wasted. This issue directly undermines progress towards key SDGs, including No Poverty (SDG 1), Zero Hunger (SDG 2), Good Health and Well-being (SDG 3), and Responsible Consumption and Production (SDG 12).

Socio-Economic Consequences and Alignment with Global Goals

Economic Burden and its Impact on SDG 1 (No Poverty) and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth)

The economic ramifications of food waste represent a direct impediment to national prosperity and household financial stability. The annual loss constitutes a significant drain on the economy and places a heavy burden on families, undermining efforts to achieve SDG 1 and SDG 8.

• Total Food Wasted (2024): 2.6 million tons
• Economic Value of Waste (2024): 26.2 billion shekels
• Percentage of National Food Production: 39%
• Equivalent Share of GDP: 1.3%
• Average Annual Cost Per Family: 10,785 shekels

This sustained economic loss, which has increased by 45% since 2015, detracts from economic growth and exacerbates the cost of living, pushing more families toward poverty.

Food Insecurity and Public Health: A Challenge to SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) and SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being)

The paradox of mass food waste coexisting with significant food insecurity highlights a critical failure in achieving fundamental human rights and public health objectives as outlined in SDG 2 and SDG 3.

• Population Experiencing Food Insecurity: Approximately 1.5 million Israelis
• Annual Health-Related Burden of Food Insecurity: 5.8 billion shekels
• Share of National Healthcare Expenditure: Approximately 4%

As noted by the Ministry of Health, reducing food waste and improving access to nutritious food, particularly fruits and vegetables for vulnerable communities, is an essential tool for promoting public health and reducing avoidable national healthcare costs.

Environmental Degradation and the Imperative for Sustainable Consumption

Environmental Costs and Contradiction with SDG 12, SDG 13, and SDG 15

The environmental price of food loss is estimated at 4.2 billion shekels annually. This waste directly contravenes the principles of SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), SDG 13 (Climate Action), and SDG 15 (Life on Land) by depleting natural resources and generating pollution.

• Wasted Resources: Significant loss of agricultural inputs, including land and water.
• Increased Emissions: Generation of greenhouse gases from decomposing food waste.
• Pollution: Contamination of air, soil, and groundwater.
• Waste Management Costs: Increased financial burden for waste treatment.

The Minister of Environmental Protection, Idit Silman, emphasized that food rescue is a foundational step toward creating a sustainable food economy and shrinking Israel’s environmental footprint.

Policy Framework and Partnerships for the Goals (SDG 17)

Policy Evolution and Multi-Stakeholder Action

Addressing this complex challenge requires robust policy and collaborative action, reflecting the principles of SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). Since a 2015 State Comptroller’s report identified a lack of national policy, significant progress has been made through multi-sector cooperation.

1. The Food Donation Act was passed and subsequently amended to facilitate food rescue.
2. Food rescue and security were integrated into the National Food Security Program.
3. Inter-ministerial guidelines for measurement and action were established.
4. In 2025, the government released its first official plan to reduce food loss and waste, led by the Ministry of Environmental Protection and the Ministry of Agriculture.

This collaboration between Leket Israel, BDO, and government ministries exemplifies the partnership model needed to achieve the SDGs.

Recommendations and Call for Decisive Action

Stakeholders universally call for structural change to mitigate food waste. Chen Herzog, Chief Economist of BDO, stated that the lack of a national budget for this issue is a “continuing failure” and urged that the 2026 state budget must include a clear national policy and implementation plan. Gidi Kroch, CEO of Leket Israel, described the 211 billion shekel loss as a “national failure” and called for a dedicated budget to achieve an “Israel without food loss.” The report demonstrates a high return on investment, with every shekel invested in food rescue generating 10.7 shekels in national value, providing a clear, actionable path toward achieving multiple Sustainable Development Goals.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 2: Zero Hunger: The article directly addresses food insecurity, stating that “Roughly 1.5 million Israelis live with food insecurity.” It discusses food rescue and redistribution to “hundreds of thousands of families” as a primary solution.
• SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production: This is the central theme of the article. It quantifies the problem of food waste, noting that “2.6 million tons of food… were discarded,” which represents “39% of all food produced in Israel.” The entire report and the proposed policies focus on reducing food loss and waste.
• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being: The article explicitly links food insecurity to negative health outcomes. It states that the “health-related burden of food insecurity now stands at 5.8 billion shekels per year,” contributing to “long-term health risks” and straining the healthcare system.
• SDG 1: No Poverty: The economic impact on households is a key issue. The article highlights an “annual average burden of 10,785 shekels per family” due to food loss, which disproportionately affects “low- and middle-income families” and is linked to “economic inequality.”
• SDG 13: Climate Action: The environmental consequences of food waste are detailed, including an “environmental price tag of 4.2 billion shekels annually.” This cost encompasses “increased emissions,” directly connecting food waste to climate change. The goal of “shrinking Israel’s environmental footprint” further reinforces this link.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Target 2.1: By 2030, end hunger and ensure access by all people, in particular the poor and people in vulnerable situations… to safe, nutritious and sufficient food all year round. The article’s focus on the “1.5 million Israelis” living with food insecurity and the efforts of Leket Israel to redistribute rescued food directly align with this target.
2. Target 12.3: By 2030, halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels and reduce food losses along production and supply chains. The article’s core subject is the “2.6 million tons of food” lost and wasted annually and the call for a “clear national policy to reduce food loss.”
3. Target 3.8: Achieve universal health coverage, including financial risk protection… The article connects food insecurity to a “5.8 billion shekels per year” burden on the national healthcare system (“4% of national healthcare expenditure”). Reducing food insecurity is presented as a way to “dramatically improve public health while reducing avoidable national costs,” which relates to the financial sustainability of healthcare.
4. Target 1.2: By 2030, reduce at least by half the proportion of men, women and children of all ages living in poverty in all its dimensions according to national definitions. The article identifies the high cost of living and the “annual average burden of 10,785 shekels per family” from food waste as factors contributing to financial hardship, which is a dimension of poverty.
5. Target 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning. The article mentions the government’s “first official plan to reduce food loss and waste, led by the Ministry of Environmental Protection” as a way to shrink Israel’s environmental footprint, which includes “increased emissions.” This represents the integration of climate-related action into national policy.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• For SDG 2 (Target 2.1): The number of people experiencing food insecurity is a direct indicator. The article provides a baseline figure: “Roughly 1.5 million Israelis live with food insecurity.” Progress could be measured by a reduction in this number.
• For SDG 12 (Target 12.3): The article provides several quantitative indicators for food waste:
  • Total volume of wasted food: “2.6 million tons of food” annually.
  • Percentage of food wasted: “39% of all food produced in Israel.”
  • Monetary value of wasted food: “26.2 billion shekels” in 2024, up from “18 billion shekel in 2015.”
• For SDG 3 (Target 3.8): A financial indicator for the health burden is provided: “5.8 billion shekels per year,” which is also expressed as a percentage of national spending, “4% of national healthcare expenditure.” A reduction in this cost would indicate progress.
• For SDG 1 (Target 1.2): The economic burden on families is used as an indicator of financial hardship: “annual average burden of 10,785 shekels per family.” Tracking this figure would measure the impact on household poverty.
• For SDG 13 (Target 13.2): The environmental cost is quantified as “4.2 billion shekels annually.” The article implies that this figure includes the cost of “increased emissions,” making it a proxy indicator for the climate impact of food waste.

4. Create a table with three columns titled ‘SDGs, Targets and Indicators” to present the findings from analyzing the article.

Source: haaretz.com