On the heels of the release of Leket Israel’s 3rd Report on Food Waste and Rescue in Israel, with a focus on the retail and distribution industry, we have recently discovered that Pesach time is one of the most wasteful times of the year in Israel. According to data compiled by BDO, during the month of Pesach alone, food worth about NIS 1.8 billion (out of NIS 19.3 billion a year) is lost, amounting to 230,000 tons.

While Israeli consumers are shopping for Pesach, the supermarkets are preparing for the holiday as well by getting rid of their surplus stock of chametz products in order to make way for their Kosher for Passover products.

The loss during this time is about 15% higher than in regular months, for two reasons:

1. A lot of food is thrown out by the retail chains and consumers before Pesach, such as bread and pastries.

2. Special Kosher for Pesach, such as cornflakes, cookies and of course matzah will not be eaten after Yomtov, and will therefore be thrown out by consumers and marketing chains.

Despite this waste, Leket Israel has received a 35% increase in the requests from their 200 non-profit partners prior to Pesach.

In the past month, some 1,600 tons of fruits and vegetables were donated to Leket Israel, from farmers, packing houses and surplus food crops, which were slated for destruction and instead given to Leket for distribution to Israel’s needy.

In terms of ​​hot meals, there was also an increase in the number of kosher for Pesach meals, donated through Leket, to their network of non-profit organizations that work during the Yomim Tovim, including 4,000 meals to ensure that the elderly and Holocaust survivors will have daily meals throughout all of Pesach and in addition, meals will be donated to NPOs in four cities for community seders.

According to Gidi Kroch, CEO of Leket Israel, “The report on food waste and rescue in Israel, which Leket released this past month together with BDO, indicated that it is highly worthwhile to solve the problem of food insecurity in Israel by rescuing food. We distribute food to the needy, especially in anticipation of Pesach, when we receive so many requests from our NPO partners; we have been working hard to increase the quantities of vegetables and fruit to meet this demand. “

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem/Photo Credit: Leket Israel)