40% of Food Produced in Israel, Worth $57 Billion, Is Thrown Away, Leket Israel Study Shows
Leket Israel is preparing to publish its latest national assessment of food waste, marking ten years since the organization began tracking the economic and social fallout of discarded food across the country. The upcoming report, produced with BDO and in coordination with the Ministries of Environmental Protection and Health, shows that Israel has lost food worth an estimated NIS 211 billion (USD $57b) over the past decade.
The new findings point to a mixed picture. Households are throwing out less food per person than in previous years, yet the overall volume remains enormous due to rising prices and population growth. The report calculates that in 2024 alone, 2.6 million tons of edible goods—valued at NIS 26.2 billion (USD $7b)—never reached consumers. Nearly 40% of all food produced went to waste, amounting to 1.3% of the national GDP. Families bore a direct cost of NIS 10 billion (USD $2.7b) last year, even as about 485,000 households struggled to access reliable, nutritious meals.
Environmental damage tied to food waste is estimated at NIS 4.2 billion (USD $1.14b) annually. Health-related costs linked to food insecurity reached even higher—NIS 5.8 billion (USD $1.57b)—reflecting strains on vulnerable populations and the public health system.
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Government policy has evolved since a critical State Comptroller’s report a decade ago pushed officials to create a national strategy. Laws supporting food donation have been updated, inter-ministerial guidelines created, and Israel’s first national plan to cut food loss was issued this year.
Leket Israel says the next stage must involve substantial budget commitments. CEO Gidi Kroch said, “NIS 211 billion (USD $57b) worth of food was thrown away in just one decade. This is a national failure with no moral, environmental, social, or economic justification.” He added that food rescue has proven its effectiveness, saying, “Every shekel invested in food rescue yields NIS 10.7 in value to the national economy.”
Environmental Protection Minister Idit Silman warned that the current trajectory “presents a troubling reality that must be changed.” At the same time, Health Ministry official Dr. Moran Blaychfeld Magnazi emphasized that improved access to fruits and vegetables can strengthen both community health and long-term economic stability.
BDO’s chief economist, Chen Herzog, called the continuing rise in food loss “an ongoing failure” and urged the government to fund a national rescue program in the 2026 state budget.
