Page 30 - Climate Conference - EBook 2023: Al-Qasemi Academy

Urban Agriculture in Israel

Mrs. Avigail Heller

Head of Botanical Gardens, Urban Agriculture,
Community & Allotment Gardens Branch |
Professional Director of the Botanical Gardens
Council | Forest and Trees Department | Ministry of

Urban Agriculture in Israel ABSTRACT
Avigail Heller, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Israel
Baka Al-Gharbia, March 2023
Community Urban Agriculture
The Ministry of Agriculture has been active in Community Urban Agriculture since 2016. To date,
130 sites in Israel have been approved as part of four proposals submitted by the various
municipalities - amounting to NIS 25 million (6.4 million Euros / 6.81 million US dollars).
In 2022, for the first time, a proposal was submitted for locating and establishing community green
roofs.
Commercial Urban Agriculture
In 2021, two documents were published by an internal ministry steering committee that dealt with
commercial urban agriculture. The first document examined the state of urban agriculture
world-wide, and the second examined urban agriculture in addition to rural agriculture in Israel.
From the findings of the second document:
Correct to the information published by the Central Bureau of Statistics from 31.12.2022, the
population of Israel is about 9.656 million - In 2050 the population of Israel is expected to reach
15.198 million people.
At the same time, there is a demand for land for agricultural production. The total demand for such
land, (thousands of dunams) is expected to increase from 3784 to 6480 thousand dunams in 2050,
however, potentially, agricultural lands is expected to be only 4400 thousand dunams. Additionally,
available land for agricultural purposes is anticipated to shrink (because of rezoning for other
purposes like housing and building).
While the global definition of urban agriculture is up to a 200 km radius from the city, in Israel the
definition is commercial cultivation in the municipal area of an urban settlement.
The questions that need to be asked: Does commercial urban agriculture have a place in Israel? Is it
possible to propose policies and methods of action to the decision-makers in the Ministry of
Agriculture and Rural Development?
At present, the supply of fruits and vegetables meets the demand. There is no shortage.
In 2030 - a shortage of agricultural land to meet demand is expected. This can be increased at the
at the expense of other areas (e.g., fodder and crops).
In 2050, a shortage of agricultural land and water is expected.
In order to encourage commercial urban agriculture, we need to overcome significant obstacles: the
price of water, municipal rates and taxes and additional costs such as: set-up costs, waste removal
and move equipment, accessories and other inputs from place to place.
Benefits: a growth in sophisticated, ongoing and controlled agriculture, that uses less pesticides
and reduces emissions and transportation, and which can generate profits of NIS 100,000 per
dunam.