According to the plan, Israeli agriculture must focus on research and development, agricultural risk assessment, promotion and implementation of sustainable agriculture, flood risk management, financing of insurance coverage for farmers, and reducing heat load in the urban space. • As part of the discussions on the 2025 state budget, the Ministry of Agriculture will request a budget for the implementation of the plan.

Director General of the Ministry of Agriculture, Oren Lavi: “Since the outbreak of the Iron Swords War, the recognition of the importance of food security and the close link between this field and the national resilience of the State of Israel has intensified. The national resilience and food security of the State of Israel also depend on our preparedness for Climate challenges. The comprehensive plan we are presenting today will ensure a sustainable future for our children as well. The road ahead is still long and will require many resources, and we will need the mobilization of all relevant ministries.”

The increase in Israel’s population, which is expected to reach about 16 million by 2050, is a significant factor in the rise of local food demand. However, alongside this, the effects of climate change are already being felt in Israel: rising temperatures and evaporation, changes in precipitation patterns, decreased soil moisture, and an increase in the frequency of extreme events. All of these are expected to worsen in the coming decades, as will their impact on crop yields, if climate adaptation measures are not taken.

Therefore, the Ministry of Agriculture is publishing for the first time the comprehensive Agriculture 2030 plan, with an emphasis on dealing with climate challenges in Israel. The overall preparedness consists of actions for adaptation to climate change (adaptation) and measures to reduce greenhouse gases (mitigation) in the agricultural sector. Some projects are already underway, such as assessing risks and opportunities in agricultural production, as well as implementing watershed management plans for runoff and flood protection. Some projects are in the formulation stage, such as the National Food Security Plan. Within the framework of the discussions on the 2025 state budget, the Ministry of Agriculture will request a budget for the implementation of the plan. Professional staff in the Ministry estimate that an additional approximately NIS 640 million per year will be required to fully achieve the preparedness plan’s goals. Today, despite budgetary constraints, the Ministry invests approximately NIS 340 million annually in preparedness for the effects of climate change in agriculture and other areas under its responsibility. Climate change and the adaptation of agriculture to it highlight the acute need to build a national food security plan that will address climate challenges and changes, and enable continuous local food production.

This is how it will look

The plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture (mitigation): Agriculture contributes about 3% of Israel’s total greenhouse gas emissions. This is only direct emissions, resulting from agricultural land cultivation, enteric fermentation in livestock, and animal manure management. To improve the greenhouse gas balance in agriculture, sustainable agriculture methods must be implemented (also known as conservation agriculture or regenerative agriculture, which protect the soil from erosion and degradation, while ensuring the conservation of natural soil resources and agricultural profitability. Furthermore, the implementation of sustainable agriculture has public benefits for additional ecosystem services such as promoting biodiversity, landscape value, and more. A mapping conducted by the Ministry on this subject in recent years shows that in about 56% of agricultural areas in Israel (field crops and orchards), no conservation practice has been implemented at all, and in 15%, it has been implemented at a low level only.

According to a preliminary estimate by professional staff, increasing sustainable agriculture areas by about 450,000 dunams could allow for the sequestration of about 0.8 million tons of organic carbon, equivalent to about 3 million tons of carbon dioxide. According to the new plan, the implementation of sustainable agriculture will be expanded by 3% (about 200,000 dunams) every 3 years. To promote this issue, in the years 2021-2023, approximately NIS 12.2 million were allocated for direct support to farmers implementing these methods, as well as approximately NIS 2 million for specialized machinery. According to the proposed plan, an additional budget of approximately NIS 11 million will be required, including, among other things: financial incentives to encourage the implementation of the method together with other government ministries, investment in long-term agricultural research, spatial monitoring of organic carbon content in the soil at a cost of half a million shekels per year, demonstration farms, and more.

According to the risk assessment currently being conducted by our Ministry, without adaptation to climate change, agricultural sectors are at risk of damage to the quality and quantity of produce; there will be an increase in water consumption due to the expected rise in relative evaporation; there will be an increase in risks of soil erosion and degradation, and direct risks of climate damage such as hail, floods, winds, etc.; and there may also be an increased risk of pests, such as pests and disease agents, in light of the change in climatic conditions. Without adaptation to climate change, livestock will also be affected by climate change: reduced productivity (milk, meat, eggs); implications for the health and fertility of livestock; decreased availability and price instability of animal feed; increased water and energy consumption for cooling; exacerbation of veterinary challenges due to disease agents that are better adapted to climatic conditions. According to findings to date, the increase in risk in agriculture, attributed solely to climate change, translates into financial damage estimated at NIS 6.5 million per year.

Therefore, in order to maintain and increase local agricultural production, adaptation processes to climate change are required. Food supply in Israel depends not only on local production but also on imports. However, unfortunately, imports are at even greater risk due to climate change. Agricultural production in Israel benefits from the use of various water sources for irrigation and from proven success in growing efficiently with every drop of water, and from the ability to cope with hot temperatures. Imports, in particular, are at increased risk, and there is a need to mitigate this risk by supporting local agriculture and diversifying supply sources. To achieve this goal, it is proposed that the Ministry support the development of practical solutions and infrastructure research for climate-adapted agriculture, with an estimated scope of approximately NIS 320 million for periods ranging from 4 to 10 years. This required budget includes support of approximately NIS 150 million for 7 years in investment grants for farmers to adapt their crops as a result of climate change, and will also work to increase agricultural training provided within the framework of Extension and Professional Services (Shatam). Furthermore, as part of the investment in research and development, this budget is in addition to the approximately NIS 60 million invested by the Ministry in research between 2021-2023. Although Israeli agriculture is one of the global flagships of climate-adapted agriculture, future challenges require support for an even faster transition to climate-adapted agriculture, often involving the development of new solutions. Alongside these actions, to cope with the consequences of the climate crisis, the Ministry of Agriculture will also need to increase insurance financing for farmers, invest in existing programs for monitoring and dealing with pests and diseases, invest in research and development, and promote programs to reduce heat load in the urban space.

Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security

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