The Knesset Economic Committee met Tuesday to discuss the issue of Israel’s food security status in response to a request by MKs Ron Katz, Ra’am Shefa, Uriel Bosso and Michal Rozen.
The meeting came in response to Bosso’s experience while shopping for the holiday, according to a report published by the Hebrew-language Actualic site. Bosso said that while shopping he was approached by people who asked for help with buying food for the holiday, and that it was a “heartbreaking spectacle.”
Shefa noted that despite the reduction of customs duties on food products, the price of those products has not changed.
Health Ministry Urges Food Security Legislation
Professor Ronit Andwalt, director of the Health Ministry’s nutrition department, told the lawmakers they should enact food security legislation that would mandate preparation of a long-term plan by the ministries of agriculture, economy and finance to address the issue.
“Healthy food is not a luxury and harmful food mainly hurts the underprivileged populations,” Andwalt said. “Price control or subsidy is a decision of the state; whole-grain bread should cost the same as regular bread.”
Of equal concern is the outright availability of food.
Manufacturers’ Association Food Council chairperson Dudi Manevitz warned the problem is bigger than the simple issue of rising costs: there is a question about whether there will be products on the shelves at all. “The main concern is from global competition that can result in a shortage of basic food products,” Manevitz said.
“We cannot guarantee that we will have enough raw materials to produce food. An inter-ministerial committee should be set up to sit down with food producers, manufacturers and other partners to explore what needs to be done to ensure continuity of ‘blue and white’ food production.”
Price Hikes Affecting Basic Bread
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has had a serious impact on the availability of wheat and other grains worldwide — including in Israel.
The second-largest bread bakery in the Jewish State, Berman, announced this week that it plans to raise the price of its bread by an average of eight percent.
“Berman Bakery can no longer continue to absorb these price increases, when it the last four months alone, the price of wheat and flour have risen sharply, by a rate of more than 40 percent,” the company wrote in a letter to its customers.
Bakery Blames Rising Cost of Supplies
The company explained that in recent months there has been a significant increase in the cost of production, supplies and raw materials — including yeast, sugar, salt, gluten, baking and oil enhancers, packaging, energy resources (gas, fuel and electricity) and transportation.
“In view of all this, and in order for us to continue to regularly and properly supply our products to the entire market,” the company wrote, “Berman Bakery hereby cancels all commercial and other discounts given for the supply of products undergoing inspection.
“The selling prices of these product groups will be sold at the official certified rates. In addition, the prices of special products that are not undergoing inspection will be updated, and their price will increase by an average of about 8 percent,” the company added.
Egypt Hit Particularly Hard
Israel’s southern neighbor, Egypt, has been hit particularly hard by the wheat shortage that has resulted from the war.
Egypt is the world’s largest importer of the grain, with Ukraine and Russia having been its biggest supplier before the start of the invasion on February 24.
Nearly 70 million Egyptians depend on the large-scale subsidized bread program administered by the Cairo government.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned last month that “tens of millions” could suffer famine as a result of the war. “Global hunger levels are a new high,” he said.
