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Distinctive Traits of Food Production and Consumption in Israel
In a small and arid country like Israel, water and land are precious and limited resources. Using land and water to grow agricultural products that are lost or wasted has direct economic, environmental, and social costs. Foods are mostly based on agricultural products: vegetables, fruit, legumes, dairy products, eggs, meat, fish, oils, etc. External factors such as pests, weather, diseases, etc. cause great uncertainty regarding the production of these agricultural goods.
This Report examines the issue of food waste and the feasibility of food rescue, considering economic, social, environmental and health perspectives. It is based on quantitative assessments and estimates, and includes ways to update data and improve methodology, based on the experience gained from the preparation and publication of the previous seven Reports. This Report is a collaboration between the Israel Ministries of Health and Environmental Protection, and includes a chapter dedicated to the impact of food rescue (particularly fruit and vegetables) on food security and health costs in Israel.
Financial accessibility to healthy food and adequate nutrition is essential for physical, mental, and cognitive functioning, and is a vital element for the realization of food security. Consuming a healthy diet with sufficient fruit and vegetables may be expensive, but an unhealthy diet has even greater costs. This Report examines and evaluates excess health expenditures in Israel that result from food insecurity, and the potential for reducing these costs through food rescue in Israel.