New labels for Gaza border produce to help Israeli farmers affected by war

Israeli citizens from across the country have been making a concerted effort to purchase produce from the areas impacted by the war in Gaza.

By Troy O. Fritzhand, The Algemeiner

The Negev Produce Cooperative Association in Israel has announced a new marker will be used to label produce that was farmed in areas near the Gaza border in an effort to support Israeli farmers affected by the ongoing war with the Hamas terror group.

The new tag will read in Hebrew “Grown in the [Gaza] Envelope and Western Negev” and start hitting the shelves of Israel’s supermarkets in the coming weeks.

“The move will help support the farmers of the south who have been personally and financially harmed,” said Yoram Avid, who heads the association. “The new labeling that will soon be seen on the shelves of our marketing chains, supermarkets, mini markets, and greengrocers will help consumers choose products grown in the Gaza Envelope and the Western Negev.”

“Furthermore,” he added, “the move puts a spotlight on a critical issue for the State of Israel: the long-term economy and its ability to maintain food security, since without strong Israeli agriculture, Israel will depend more and more on the import of vegetables and fruits and in times of crisis even suffer from significant shortages that will harm all citizens.”

The move comes as Israeli citizens from across the country have been making a concerted effort to purchase produce from the areas impacting by the war in Gaza. Following Hamas’ brutal terror attack on Oct. 7, which launched the conflict, dozens of farms became unreachable and inoperable, leaving tons of fruits and vegetables to go to waste.

This lack of ability to harvest caused alarm in Israel, as a majority of the country’s produce comes from the region near Gaza — such as more than half the wheat, half the dates, nearly 200 million liters of milk, and large percentages of the Jewish state’s other fruits and vegetables.

In response, groups such as Leket Israel and other nonprofits started organizing trips to the abandoned farms, where volunteers started harvesting crops and allowing the farmers to stay afloat. This was accompanied by solidarity trips by Jews from the United States, Europe, and elsewhere who came and helped to harvest as well.

More than five months into the war, pop-up farmer’s markets are a weekly occurrence in towns across the country, where farmers can bring their crops to Israelis eager to support them.