'Without agriculture, we face an existential threat': Food security experts speak at conference

At a food security conference organized by Calcalist, HaShomer HaChadash, and Tnuva on Thursday, Yoel Zilberman, founder and CEO of HaShomer HaChadash, said, “Without agriculture, we face an existential threat.”

He added, “In the United States, agriculture is at the heart of the country; in Israel, agriculture is vital to national security.”

HaShomer HaChadash’s deputy CEO, On Rifman, told the audience during the conference that the agricultural workforce has been reduced by 25% since the beginning of the war in October.

“Many farmers were stationed at the border, many others were drafted into reserves, and numerous agricultural workers were impacted by the war,” Rifman revealed.

He added that they soon realized that they needed to recruit young people to develop new land. “There are a million new dunams available for cultivation. We need to unite all farmers and create a comprehensive plan,” Rifman said.

HaShomer HaChadash was established in 2007 with the goal of preserving Israel’s lands while assisting and empowering farmers, connecting Israeli society to the land through conservation, agricultural volunteerism, and education.

At the conference, Zilberman highlighted that HaShomer HaChadash has enlisted over 250,000 volunteers across Israel in order to “save Israeli agriculture.”

“The public is unaware of the existential threat we face. They know about ammunition shortages and the dangers posed to power stations and gas rigs, but they don’t realize the looming existential threat to our food security,” he stated.

Zilberman also said that Israel’s primary challenges were ammunition, energy, and food independence.

Ensuring food security

Agriculture and Food Security Minister Avi Dichter spoke at the convention about his ministry’s role in ensuring food security.

“We cannot afford to have empty shelves in Israel, as this could lead to a dangerous situation. The principle of maintaining full shelves is a fundamental rule, along with the challenge of increasing local production both in routine and emergency situations. It is our responsibility as a ministry to equip the sector with the necessary tools, even if this involves taking risks,” he said.

Dr. Liron Amador, an economics, agricultural development, and food systems expert, recently conducted a study in collaboration with HaShomer HaChadash that revealed that Israel does not use established metrics for tracking imports in comparison to local agricultural production.

The study stated that Israel has no strategic plan to increase food security. On the Global Food Security Index (GFSI), the state was given a zero in the “commitment to food security policy and food accessibility” indicator, compared to the average global score of 47.1.

Although Israeli farmers sometimes adopt new technologies, most of Israel’s agricultural knowledge is not up-to-date.

According to the study, Israel’s agriculture is small compared to the global standard. On average, global agricultural land per person is two dunams, with cultivated land covering 40% of the globe’s surface. Israel only has about 430 square meters of agricultural land per person, which is less than a quarter of the global average.

In addition, Israel uses less than 20% of its land for agriculture and only 13% for crops. At least 60,000 dunams should be designated for agriculture, which is ten times the current amount.

Since the start of the war, agricultural production has significantly declined. As of March, approximately 90% of Israeli farmers reported damages to their farms due to the conflict, according to a HaShomer HaChadash survey.

Per the same survey, 35% of the farms in the Gaza border communities have completely halted operations, and 84% of Israeli farmers believe there has been an impact on Israel’s safety, nutritional-wise.