Food waste in Israel could drop exponentially following Knesset approval Monday of legislation obliging the public sector to donate unused food that can be distributed to vulnerable populations.
The law was spearheaded by Leket Israel—the National Food Bank, which rescues surplus food and delivers it to those in need through partner nonprofit organizations. It was proposed in the Knesset by lawmakers Yinon Azoulai (Shas) and Yasmin Fridman (Yesh Atid).
The new law authorizes organizations such as Leket to collect surplus food from companies or institutions that serve at least 500 portions daily in the public sector. Included among the institutions are the Knesset, government ministries, the State Comptroller’s Office, the IDF, the prisons service, local authorities, religious councils, government and municipal corporations, and hospitals.
A refusal to donate will require a good reason.
Those collecting the food will report once a year on how much food they collected, how much they distributed, and who the main recipients were.
Joseph Gitler, founder and chairman of Leket Israel, said he expected the government to provide information on who was in charge of food procurement in the different public sector arms.
He could not say how much food could be saved as a result of the legislation, but thought it would result in tens to hundreds of thousands of additional daily meals for people in need. “We think the impact can be very substantial,” he said.
As the organizations that donate excess food are not charged for collection, Leket and its partner organizations on the ground will need to invest considerably to expand the logistics, Gitler added.
He said it was the first law of its kind in the world, and that Leket would spread word of it to food banks overseas.
“We already work closely with organizations such as the army,” he went on, “but felt strongly that by enshrining this into law, it would open more doors for us, save the taxpayers money on food that is wasted, and help us provide meals that are healthy, safe and nutritious.”
Well over a third of Israel’s food ends up as waste, according to Leket, which publishes annual food waste reports.
