A report by the Samuel Neaman Institute has described non-animal proteins — including legumes, plant-based meat, and cultivated products — as critical to achieving food security for Israel by 2050.
The authors outline the challenges posed by population growth and environmental issues, noting that Israel has a low self-sufficiency ratio in food groups such as cereals, legumes, and nuts. This increases the country’s reliance on imports and its vulnerability to global supply chain disruptions.
Consequently, boosting domestic production of non-animal proteins could enhance Israel’s resilience to geopolitical and economic uncertainties, while simultaneously reducing the environmental impact of producing and importing animal products. Greenhouse gas emissions, land use, and water consumption could all be significantly decreased.
The report suggests aligning the Israeli diet with Mediterranean diet recommendations; this would reportedly reduce the gap between current production and future demand across most food groups. Consumption of red meat, poultry, and dairy products would decrease, while legume consumption would rise.
Fostering innovation
The authors find that these changes would require significant investments in production facilities, along with other supportive policies such as subsidies, R&D investments, and consumer education. They claim that Israel is already positioned as a global leader in non-animal protein innovation, but stress the need for further government and private sector investment and collaboration to overcome production challenges.
The report discusses global trends and their relevance to Israel’s food system, along with the environmental and economic impacts of available non-animal protein solutions. Finally, it outlines a roadmap with key actions for transitioning to a resilient, partly non-animal protein-based food system by 2050.
In 2023, the Office of the Prime Minister of Israel announced that it viewed promoting alternative proteins as one of the country’s national goals, providing a solution for food security and the potential to strengthen the economy. Last year, a report found that the Israeli alternative protein industry could create 10,000 jobs and contribute an estimated $2.5 billion to the economy by 2030.
“Israel’s proactive approach to fostering innovation in alternative proteins reflects our commitment to shaping a sustainable future for generations to come,” said Dror Bin, CEO of the Israel Innovation Authority (IIA), in 2024.
