A new report reveals what we should eat in the future, and how much. Spoiler: if you like salad - you're set
What will we load on the plate in 25 years? Will we still eat bread, steak and fruit? Will there be carambois? Will we find the same products in the supermarket that we know today? The Ministry of Agriculture understands that the future contains many question marks, and therefore they are working on a long-term plan aimed at ensuring Israel's food security in 2050. The accepted international definition for food security It is "when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to safe and nutritious food that meets their nutritional needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life"; Is it that simple?
Researchers from the Shmuel Naaman Institute, led by Prof. Eyal Shimoni, an expert in the field of food engineering and the former VP of Technology at Strauss, and Sima Tziparfel, wrote the report "The Israeli food plate for 2050", which is designed to help the government ministries formulate the food security policy. In the report, they explain what the State of Israel needs to do so that in 2050 the citizens of the country will have enough healthy and accessible food. The report is intended to define a direction, a "North Star" according to Shimoni, towards which the country should aim in order to better deal with crises and changes that are expected in the world.
import export
Defining a plate of food is a social and economic statement. "There is a value statement here that is later translated into tons of food in import and export," Shimoni explained. In fact, a country that works for food security is a country that believes that its role is to provide its citizens with accessible and healthy food. According to the report, the average Israeli food consumption does not meet the recommendations of the Ministry of Health. The definition of the food plate aims to provide a health solution that will also suit Israeli culture and cuisine. In the study, they referred to the recommended food plate of the Ministry of Health, to the consumption data of Israelis today, to Israel's import and export data, and also to forecasts and assessments concerning the climate crisis and the state's performance in global crises such as the Corona epidemic.
"Food security also consists of the ability to go through shocks," Shimoni explains, "Roughly speaking, Israel is a net importer, it imports much more than it produces." One of the most prominent examples of this is the world of animal food. Israel imports most of its beef from outside the country, and even when referring to domestically grown meat, most of the animals' food is imported. This creates a dependency that could harm Israel's food security in the event of an international crisis. "During the Corona period, we saw that global crises break supply chains. As soon as there is a crisis, every country takes care of itself." Of course, even in times of war, crises may arise that the state must prepare for. However, according to Shimoni, "what works normally works in an emergency". In other words, the concept is that good routine preparation will enable better coping even in times of emergency such as war. Therefore, the main focus of the researchers is on long-term planning that will meet various challenges.
The required changes can be perceived as drastic, but "the key word here is a new balance", Shimoni explains. That is, the ambition is not to start producing all the food ourselves but to improve the existing ratio. For example, to move from the situation today - where 10 percent of the wheat for food is produced in Israel - to a situation where 30 percent to 50 percent of the wheat is produced in Israel. This way, the country will have more ability to feed itself in the event of a supply disruption.
Both to the palate and to the ground
The report adopted the recommended food plate of the Ministry of Health, which is based on a Mediterranean diet. This is a diet that suits the Israeli palate and is naturally also the most suitable for the crops that can be grown in our region in terms of climate and soil conditions. According to the recommended food plate for 2050, fruits and vegetables will make up 51 percent of our consumption , whole grains 18 percent and animal protein only 11 percent food groups that make up a part Smaller will be dairy products, starches like potato and sweet potato, vegetable protein and a little vegetable fat.
One of the subjects that was relatively widely discussed in the research, is protein consumption. According to the report and also according to the Ministry of Health, the consumption of red meat should be reduced and replaced with protein from plants or from poultry and fish. The researchers cited three main reasons for this: health, the environment and animal welfare. In Israel, the consumption of general protein - animal and non-animal protein - is high In relation to the recommendations of the Ministry of Health, and the report recommends a reduction. According to the report, the consumption of red meat is linked to chronic diseases such as heart disease and cancer. Also, the meat industry is one of the most polluting factors in the food sector in terms of greenhouse gas emissions and utilization of natural resources - such as water use and the required food for growing meat. The transition to the right food plate will require an increase in the consumption of plant protein in the form of fresh vegetables, processed meat-like protein of plant origin and other meat substitutes.
Heat wave in transition season
The climate crisis and global warming are another significant factor in long-term planning. Israel is considered vulnerable to climate change, and much of the food we eat comes from countries that may be further affected by climate change and natural disasters, which may jeopardize their ability to produce and export food. In addition to that, we are already seeing in Israel today how heat and cold waves and even less extreme changes have a negative effect on agricultural produce. For example, when there is a heat wave during the transition season Various fruit crops in the country are affected Hardly because a heat wave damages the blossoms and causes the trees to produce less fruit. Another example is the vines that grow in areas where the temperature at night is relatively low: in recent years, following the increase in temperature, the vines produced a lower amount of fruit than before.
In preparation for the climate changes that will become more extreme and alongside the aspiration to produce more food in Israel, issues such as investment in agricultural technology, projects to transport water to arid and semi-arid areas, the development of new and resistant varieties and the development of soils that will be suitable for the crop must be taken seriously. In addition to this, changes in regulation can allow the development of the food industry, which will increase the supply and no less important - educating the general public for proper and healthier nutrition will help on a strategic level for long-term planning.
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