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10th Annual Food Waste and Rescue Report
What does the Report discuss?
What is the Report about?
The 2024 National Food Waste and Rescue Report is being published for the tenth year by Leket together with BDO, in cooperation with the Ministry of Environmental Protection and the Ministry of Health.
The purpose of the Report is to serve as a basis for public discussion on the problem of food waste and to provide a tool for developing national policy measures that will lead to meaningful change in the way food waste and rescue are addressed in Israel.
A special section compiling data since 2015 shows that over the past decade the Israeli economy lost food valued at a cumulative NIS 211 billion (USD $57B). Israeli consumers are wasting less food, with a 13.3% decrease per capita, down from 300 to 260 kilograms per year, but the rise in the cost of living and population growth keep overall waste volumes particularly high.
In 2024, Israel discarded 2.6 million tons of food worth NIS 26.2 billion (USD $7B), equal to 39% of all food produced in the country and equivalent to 1.3% of the national GDP. Household consumption alone accounts for food waste of NIS 10 billion (USD $2.7b), an annual cost of NIS 10,785 (USD $2,915) per household. All this while about 1.5 million residents in Israel, roughly 485,000 households, live with food insecurity and do not know whether they will be able to afford enough proper and nutritious food by the end of the month.
Since the publication of the State Comptroller’s report in 2015, which highlighted the lack of comprehensive government policy on the subject, Leket has led significant change in both policy and public awareness. Over the past decade, the Food Donation Act was amended, food rescue and food security were incorporated into the National Food Security Program, food rescue was included in the Ministry of Welfare’s support criteria, and principles were established for inter-ministerial measurement and action. These efforts aim to halt losses worth billions of shekels and improve conditions for middle and lower socio-economic groups who bear the greatest financial burden.
Leket has demonstrated for years that the solution exists: nutritious food can be rescued, waste can become a resource, and abundance can be connected to need.
What is the issue of food waste?
Food waste refers to food intended for human consumption that, for various reasons, is wasted and not consumed. Food waste occurs at every stage of the supply chain, from production, storage, packaging, and processing, through retail and consumer stages.
The current Report, based on 2024 data, again shows the severe scale of food waste in Israel: 2.6 million tons.
The value of this wasted food is NIS 26.2 billion (USD $7b), and roughly half of it is rescuable and suitable for consumption, valued at approximately NIS 9.9 billion (USD $2.7b).
What are the Report’s main conclusions?
The economic value of food rescue
National Food Waste and Rescue Reports from the past decade consistently show the strong economic, health, social, and environmental value of food rescue. A review of international policies and best practices for reducing food waste, along with recognition of the health benefits of rescuing nutritious food, highlights the need to treat food rescue as a core national policy tool.
The National Plan to Reduce Food Loss and Waste
In September 2025, the government published its first-ever national plan to reduce food loss and waste. The plan includes 16 action channels across five strategic areas: improving access to information, waste regulation, behavior change, expanded food rescue, and inter-agency coordination. It sets significant reduction targets for 2050.
Until the plan receives full budget approval, it is necessary to continue expanding food rescue, which currently relies primarily on non-profit organizations and donations, and to promote government funding, tenders, and incentives to increase rescue volumes.
Food loss reduction during emergencies
The Swords of Iron War demonstrated the importance of food security as part of national resilience. To prevent future crises, the state must develop a stable multi-year policy enabling farmers to recover, stabilizing prices, and strengthening national food security. Consistent support for the agricultural sector will help manage future crises and promote sustainable agriculture that will support the Israeli economy for years to come.
Advancing emerging legislation and the need for regulatory frameworks
Reducing food waste in Israel requires clear legislation that encourages food rescue and prevents food destruction. The national plan recommends examining several legislative measures, such as mandatory food donation, extending expiration dates for non-sensitive raw materials, and establishing a food waste levy.
Beyond these initiatives, Israel must complete the legislative process and advance broader regulation that will provide long-term solutions for reducing food waste and strengthening food security.
The Report’s findings show that food rescue offers high value across economic, social, environmental, and health dimensions. Considering all factors, every NIS invested in food rescue generates NIS 10.7 in economic value.
The major advantage of food rescue is its immediate ability to close the food insecurity gap in Israel with just a quarter of the current budget required, while also improving efficiency, preventing the waste of natural and production resources, and helping reduce emissions and pollutants.
Leket will continue engaging with decision-makers in Israel to adopt the Report’s conclusions and recommendations and to develop a national plan that will bring real change to patterns of food waste and food rescue in Israel.
Past reports
- Food Waste and Rescue in Israel Report 2022
- Food Waste and Rescue in Israel Report 2021
- Food Waste and Rescue in Israel Report 2020
- Food Waste and Rescue in Israel Report 2019
- Food Waste and Rescue in Israel Report 2018
- Food Waste and Rescue in Israel Report 2017
- Food Waste and Rescue in Israel Report 2016
- Food Waste and Rescue in Israel Report 2015