Israel: Policy Highlights and Opportunities

While Israel ranks higher than much of the world on issues such as food affordability, availability, and safety, Israel falls below the global average on food security, with 19% of the population facing food insecurity. Roughly 50% of food wasted in Israel could be recovered to feed those who are food insecure.

Atlas Research: Israel

Legal Guide

Learn more about the legal frameworks relevant to food donation and how Israel's existing laws and policies support or hinder the country's progress.

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Policy Recommendations

Dive into recommendations for policymakers based on the gaps and opportunities identified in the legal guides.

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Executive Summary

Read highlights of the research findings and our high-level recommendations.

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Policy Highlights

Israel research was published in June 2023 and was made possible with the advice and support of our on-site partners, including Leket Israel.

Liability Protection

Israel offers liability protections for food donations through the 2018 Food Donation Encouragement Law, which grants civil and criminal liability protection for food donors and food distribution organizations,

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provided all relevant laws were followed and they did not act negligently. Food donation activity would benefit from public awareness and education campaigns.

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Food Safety for Donations

The Public Health (Food) Protection Law (PHPL) contains several sections that specifically address food redistribution and food distribution organizations, including an exemption from acquiring production,

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transportation, and storage licenses, thereby reducing unnecessary burdens in the food donation process. The PHPL also permits the donation of food not sensitive to spoilage past the expiration date with permission from the manufacturer.

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Date Labeling

Israel employs a dual date labeling scheme, differentiating between foods sensitive to spoilage and those that are not. Even after the quality-based date, non-sensitive foods are often still safe to consume if stored correctly without damaged packaging.

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The PHPL permits food distribution organizations to redistribute non-sensitive foods past the recommended date of use provided they have written authorization from the manufacturer.

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Policy Opportunities and Recommendations

Donation Requirements

Israel currently does not impose a national food donation requirement, organic waste ban, or food waste penalty. Such a law has been considered in Israel due to heightened attention to the ecological damage associated with organic waste.

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The Israeli government should adopt nationwide policies that would require the donation of surplus food or restrict the ability to send food to landfills.

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Government Grants & Incentives

To date, Israel does not offer significant national grants initiated specifically to support on-farm food recovery or food donation infrastructure, nor is there government funding allocated to support the research, development,

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innovation, or human resources necessary to maintain and bolster food recovery operations.

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Mapping food donation policies around the world

The Atlas map compares food donation laws and policies in different countries and evaluates legislation across several issue areas. Use the map to see where your country stands and learn from best practices around the world.

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About Us

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Methodology

Read our detailed project methodology rooted in inclusion, accuracy, and transparency.

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