On Monday, the Israeli government decided to set a strategic goal of increasing local agricultural vegetable production by one third (33%) by 2035. This is an important step towards strengthening national food security.

Agriculture and Food Security Minister Avi Dichter: "The Government's decision this morning is a decisive step towards strengthening national food security, improving the availability of fresh agricultural products, reducing the cost of living and preserving the country's lands. Establishing a professional team to formulate a long-term plan is an opportunity to promote Israeli agriculture and local production capabilities, thereby guaranteeing Israel's citizens stable and sustainable food security. The decision is integrated as part of the 25-year national food security plan and includes a strategic goal of increasing local agricultural production by one-third in the next decade, a goal that will directly impact the food supply and lead to a significant reduction in the cost of living. The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security is committed to strengthening local production capacities and ensuring a regular and available supply of food for all citizens, against a backdrop of many years of stagnation in production for the local market.'

Israeli agriculture has shown a tendency to shrink over the past two decades, while the population is growing at a rate of 2% per year. Agricultural land areas have shrunk by 3,000 hectares per year and there has been a sharp 46% decline in agriculture's contribution to GDP over the past 15 years. Domestic production remains constant at around 2 million tons per year with no significant growth. This reduction, coupled with pressures on the supply chain, puts Israel at risk of becoming dependent on foreign sources for food imports.

The current decision orders the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security to establish a professional team that will formulate within 60 days a long-term plan to increase local production. The plan includes the goal of a continuous year-round supply of agricultural products at competitive prices, while supporting advanced and modern local agriculture.

The minister presented the main strategic principles to increase vegetable farming by 33%:

• Reduce water tariffs for farmers: reduce the tariff for bottled water, increase the quantity and quality of bottled water, and improve the infrastructure for transmitting bottled water.

• Increase availability of agricultural land: promote a national master plan for agriculture.

• Labor for agriculture: increase the supply of workers in agriculture, reduce employment costs, and develop plans to encourage the next generation to go into agriculture.

• Improve agricultural R&D: advanced research infrastructures and increased income from commercialization of Volcani Institute research.