- February 16, 2026
- 1:34 pm
- World News
The material is prepared based on a publication on the Israeli site zavit3.co.il, where the global shift from import dependency to local production strategy is analyzed. The world has lived too long with the feeling that the distance from a Ukrainian field to a family’s plate in Haifa is merely a matter of logistics. Cheaper, faster, more global.
But a series of crises shattered this confidence. Ports are closing, routes are becoming targets, insurance premiums are rising, governments are getting nervous. And suddenly it turns out: efficiency easily turns into vulnerability.
Food has ceased to be just agriculture. It is now part of national security.
Global rift: from Eastern Europe to the Middle East
The most vivid example is the war between Russia and Ukraine. Two countries that for many years were considered one of the key sources of grain, oils, and fertilizers suddenly found themselves in a war zone.
As soon as maritime logistics failed, many states saw a simple picture: import dependency is not just economics, it’s a strategic risk.
Markets react instantly. Prices, reserves, diplomacy, urgent negotiations. But the main conclusion is political: you cannot fully rely on there always being an external supplier.
On international discussion platforms about investments in the food industry, there is increasingly talk of a course change – from globalization to localization.
Why the concept of a ‘global supermarket’ no longer works as before
Geopolitics has become unpredictable. So has the climate. Droughts, fertilizer disruptions, export restrictions, unstable routes.
Each problem individually is manageable. Together – systemic.
And governments are starting to ask a different question: not where to buy cheaper, but where to produce more reliably.
Israel as a test of resilience under pressure
For Israel, the transition to local production is not ideology, but calculation. The country is small, dependent on imports, and regional risks have not disappeared.
Therefore, the conversation about agriculture today sounds like a conversation about sovereignty.
The ability to provide the population with basic products without critical dependence on external supply channels becomes part of the overall model of national resilience.
This is where interest in technology intensifies: urban farming, new type greenhouse complexes, alternative proteins, laboratory developments. Everything that reduces vulnerability.
Economists and planners formulate the task pragmatically: how to reduce the likelihood of shock if the global chain suddenly stops.
In this logic, NAnews https://nikk.agency/ β Israel News | Nikk.Agency considers the food topic not as an industry, but as infrastructure. It’s about the state’s ability to function under pressure.
Logistics as the Achilles’ heel
Most food comes by sea. It’s profitable as long as routes are stable. But instability has become a recurring factor.
Any complication instantly turns into price increases and deficit expectations.
Singapore and the ’30 by 30′ program
One of the often-cited examples is Singapore. Almost without agricultural land, with a historical dependence on imports, it chose an active strategy of changing the model.
The goal is clearly formulated: by 2030, to provide 30% of needs through domestic production.
Tools being used
Vertical farms in urban environments.
Development of cultivated meat and fish.
Reuse of water and resources.
The state invests serious funds, understanding: autonomy is expensive, but dependence can cost even more.
Between economy and security
Localization almost always increases cost. This is the main argument of skeptics.
But after recent years, priorities are changing. Resilience, control, and manageability in crisis are added to the equation.
Governments have to find a balance between supporting local production and affordable prices for the population.
Nevertheless, the overall trend is clear: the era of unconditional faith in the global market is ending.
Those who create internal opportunities in advance will win. The rest will have to rebuild during the next crisis.
