Food and water are essential national resources that fulfill crucial roles both in immediate survival and in broader nutritional security. The term refers to a situation in which individuals, households, and communities have the physical, social, and economic means to access sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets their dietary requirements and food preferences, enabling an active and healthy lifestyle.
The State of Israel faces significant challenges in ensuring food security for all its citizens. This security may be threatened in various timeframes: in the short term, by security events; in the medium term, by regional or global geopolitical events and extreme climatic events already being experienced; and in the long term, by ongoing climate change that will challenge all countries worldwide and may dictate different priorities for significant food sources, as well as shifts in global power relations that could jeopardize national food security.
In recent decades, there has been an increase in the prevalence of diseases stemming from unhealthy lifestyles and dietary patterns. As a result, there is a noticeable decline in the quality of life for Israel’s citizens, with a burden on Israel’s economy. Beyond direct costs to the healthcare system, this situation has significant indirect economic and social implications. Therefore, national food security planning must also be based on a “nutrition basket” that facilitates healthy and accessible nutrition for all citizens.
When addressing this issue, questions arise regarding defining sustainable consumption, characterizing sources, analyzing gaps and risks, identifying economic and social infrastructural tools for solutions, and more. Such analysis requires multidisciplinary and multisectoral thinking.
The aim of the research is to formulate a data-based proposal for a national food security policy that can serve as the basis for government decisions, legislation, and long-term policy for the vision of the State of Israel in 2050. Specifically:
- Formulating a vision for national food security in 2050.
- Proposing practical and feasible strategic outlines for realizing the vision.
- Proposing central and practical anchor actions for implementing the strategic plan.
The research will utilize several tools:
- Researching the field and presenting data on policies, goals, plans, indicators, and implementation of food security programs in Israel and globally. Data will be collected from reputable sources and active bodies in various areas.
- Conferences and forums aimed at creating a comprehensive and inclusive professional “round table” with maximal involvement of all stakeholders (government, business sector, third sector, academia and research institutes, citizens).
- Thematic working groups: From the forums, heterogeneous working groups will be established on defined core issues. These groups will formulate positions and recommendations on their core topics, which will be periodically presented and discussed in broader forums.
The Samuel Neaman Institute team consolidates insights, recommendations, and plans into a long-term policy document, to be placed on the decision-makers’ table in collaboration with other entities.
