Israel’s Agriculture Ministry launched a strategic risk-monitoring system to protect food supply amid boycotts, climate change, and global crises.
ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF. SEPTEMBER 28, 2025
Israel has a new strategic system for monitoring risks in food imports, the Agriculture and Raw Food Security Ministry said Sunday.
The new system is part of the National Food Security Plan 2050, which identifies global risks that could disrupt the food supply. It is especially important given the increasing international boycotts, which may affect supply routes from abroad, the ministry said.
The new system is also designed to mitigate against the effects of wars, pandemics, extreme climate events, and trade-policy changes, all which may undermine the country’s ability to guarantee a steady food supply, it said
The system was based on a model developed at the Institute for National Security Studies think tank in Tel Aviv.
How does the system work?
The new system identifies regional and global threats early and assesses their impact on imports and local production, while formulating alternatives and real-time policies, the ministry said.
The first stage is early detection of risks, including identification of “weak signals” and emerging events in the global arena that may affect Israel’s food supply.
The second stage is an impact assessment that analyzes the identified risks and examines their potential effect on imports to Israel and local production.
Finally, government policy recommendations will be formulated to allow rapid, data-based responses well before a crisis reaches store shelves.
The ministry said it would also establish a “foreign trade cabinet” that will be responsible for prioritization according to various considerations, including climate resilience, promotion of healthy nutrition, diversification of import sources, cost-of-living concerns, and support for Israel’s strategic interests and national food security.
“We are preparing for the next crisis before it even begins,” said Yuval Lifkin, head of the Agriculture and Raw Food Security Ministry’s Food Security Directorate. “The new system being established, as part of the National Food Security Plan, highlights the transition from a reactive approach to a preventive one, based on information and forecasts. This way we can make informed decisions regarding food imports and strengthen Israel’s food security.”
“Smart and flexible trade policy, which will include support, tariffs, and other trade tools, will encourage efficiency and maximize Israeli agriculture, while increasing production and boosting competition in the fresh food market,” he said.
“The right balance between imports and local production will promote healthy and accessible food for the entire population, while maintaining the viability of local production,” Lifkin said. “In this context, the new risk monitoring system will ensure supply-chain continuity and enable rapid, data-based decision-making both in routine and emergency situations.”
Israel’s import reliance
According to the ministry’s data, Israel is heavily reliant on food imports, which include more than 90% of grains and fish, more than 80% of legumes, seed oils, peanuts, and nuts, and more than 60% of beef.
Given the growing population and the corresponding increase in food demand, import volumes are projected to rise substantially by 2050. Therefore, there is a need for strengthened resilience and stability throughout the supply chain, the ministry said.
Additionally, as part of the global Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, many countries have introduced measures to boycott Israel, including halting exports.
For example, in May 2024, Turkey said it would halt all trade with Israel. Before the ban, Israel imported about $5 billion worth of goods from Turkey each year, including agricultural products.
About 1.5 million Israelis live in a state of food insecurity, which is defined as the limited or uncertain access to enough safe, nutritious food for normal growth, development, and an active, healthy life, Yoram Kapulnik, executive director of the US-Israel Binational Agricultural Research and Development Fund, reported in July.
Drought over this past summer led to a reduction in multiple crop yields and a subsequent 20% increase in import reliance, he said.
Key crops, such as apples, cotton, and rice, might become unprofitable and eventually vanish from the local Israeli agricultural landscape, Kapulnik said.