Israel's food security system failing, relying on thousands of NGOs, study finds

Israel's extensive network of nearly 2,300 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) is working to combat widespread food insecurity, yet a new study highlights significant structural issues within the nation's approach to food aid. Researchers from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJI), in collaboration with Sheba Medical Center, found that while this network plays a critical role, it is deeply fragmented and heavily reliant on private philanthropy rather than government funding.

The study, published in the journal Food Policy, reveals that in 2024, approximately 27.1% of Israeli households, including over a million children, faced food insecurity. The current system sees roughly one NGO for every 1,000 food-insecure individuals, a stark contrast to models in countries like the UK and Germany, which have more centralized or professionally organized food bank networks.

Critics argue that the Israeli government has increasingly offloaded the responsibility for food security onto philanthropic organizations. Only 13% of the budgets for Israeli food aid NGOs come from government sources, forcing them to depend heavily on private donations and local fundraising efforts. This reliance on charity, the researchers assert, cannot adequately replace a comprehensive national food security policy.

Moran Accos and Prof. Aron M. Troen from HUJI, along with Dr. Orly Tamir from Sheba Medical Center, who have been researching the issue for nearly four years, stated that "charity alone cannot substitute for a comprehensive national food security policy." Their findings, based on the first comprehensive national mapping of Israel's food-aid NGO system, indicate major gaps in equity, coordination, and oversight, despite the system's vast scale and the significant contributions of its employees and volunteers.

“

While philanthropic food aid plays a critical role, it can’t replace coherent, equitable, and accountable public policy.