Browse Data and Analysis

Israel does not have a policy restricting the use of imported genetically engineered (GE) commodities or derivative products. There are no changes in Israel’s policy towards plant, animal biotechnology, and microbial biotechnology since 2023.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s (KSA) regulations allow the importation of biotech plant products, but they are required to be labeled if they contain more than one percent genetically engineered (GE) plant ingredients. As a result, many retail packaged food importers do not import biotech foods due to concerns that biotech labeling could jeopardize their image.

The beef sector in Israel is growing and is heavily reliant upon imports. Israel’s lack of grazing land for cattle and an increasing population are the main factors contributing to the growth in demand for beef imports.

Post projects a slight increase in fresh apple production in Marketing Year (MY) 2024/25, forecast at 488,000 metric tons (MT), while pear production is expected to decrease to 655,000 MT from the previous year.

With over 2,500 facilities, the Israeli food processing sector is an important player in the domestic economy. In 2022, Israeli food processors' annual revenue stood at $23.19 billion.

The Government of Argentina (GOA) approved five new genetically engineered (GE) events in late 2023 and 2024, including one cotton, two soybean, and two corn events. In 2024, the first three applications were submitted for joint assessment by the agricultural regulatory agencies of Argentina and Brazil under the Cooperation Agreement on Biosafety of Modern Biotechnology Products, signed in 2022.

This report supplements GAIN report IS2-24-0020: Israel Adopts Additional European Union Standards for Agricultural Imports and includes translations of the documents from Hebrew to English referenced in the report.

In 2024, Argentina's dairy production faced significant challenges, primarily due to severe weather and economic issues which led to a projected 7 percent decline in milk output, estimated at 10,708 metric tons (MT).

Post increases marketing year (MY) 2024/2025 soybean production to reach 52 million metric tons (MMT), up 1 MMT higher than USDA official and Post’s previous estimate on 17.2 million hectares (MHA) harvested as producers shift to more soy away from corn over fears of the impact of corn stunt (leafhopper/Chicharrita) in corn, continued low prices, and expected dry conditions.

Argentine wheat production in marketing year (MY) 2024/2025 is estimated at 18 million tons (MMT) with exports (including wheat flour in its wheat equivalent) at 12 million tons, slightly above USDA official.

Total Saudi wheat imports for 2024/25 are forecast to reach 4.25 MMT, an increase of 2 percent over marketing year (MY) 2023/24.

On August 4, 2024, the Government of Israel published the “Tenth Amendment to the Protection of Public Health (Food) – 2015” legislation under the Food Reform Law, which adopted more than 40 new food directives and regulations aligning with European Union standards.