Breaking Update
New Program Will Transfer Surplus Agricultural Produce to the Needy
Israel's Ministry of Agriculture & Leket Israel launch a pilot program to transfer surplus farm produce to the needy via a new app.
Jerusalem, 19 January, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Israel’s Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, in collaboration with the “Leket Israel” association, is launching a new pilot to rescue surplus agricultural produce from farmers across the country and transfer it to those in need through an innovative real-time reporting application.
“In a reality where 2.6 million tons of food are thrown away in Israel every year,” said the Ministry, “saving food and reducing food loss are important and central issues.”
The pilot, which will be launched as part of the implementation of the principles of the National Food Security Plan 2050, is based on the development of a GIS-based application that will allow farmers to report in real time on surplus produce that is forming in the field or at the packing house, and will allow the “Leket Israel” association to come and rescue them. Thus, thousands of kilograms of edible produce, which could have been sent to landfill, will be transferred to those in need, and will help increase the accessibility of many and diverse populations to fresh, healthy and nutritious food.
Beyond its significant social contribution, the pilot is also expected to reduce the environmental damage resulting from food landfilling and strengthen the connection between farmers and the community.
Until the move, the farmers’ reporting system to the association was based on telephone contact, which involved long handling times and high operational costs. The new application will enable a transition from a reactive system to a proactive and digital system, thereby making it possible to optimize the response, shorten collection times, and ensure that the produce collected is fresher and has a longer shelf life.
