While Israel does grow and export fruits and vegetables, it imports "water" in the form of grains and beef and other "red" meats. At least some of the beef is

While Israel does grow and export fruits and vegetables, it imports "water" in the form of grains and beef and other "red" meats. At least some of the beef is imported from Argentina. According to one source 1 ton of wheat is 216,000 gallons of water. Beef requires considerably more water per pound, at least 10 times as much and the documented source says much more. Beef and other red meats are also imported as a rule. Turkey and chicken, which require less water, are grown domestically. http://www.vegsource.com/articles/pimentel_water.htm http://www.vegsource.com/articles/pimentel_water.htm For many of the Middle Eastern countries with water shortages, importing grains and red meats to conserve on water seems like a good strategy. Also, technology from carbon nano-tubules may make the desalination if much cheaper. Couple this technology with ever-improving solar technology which is likely to be efficient in Israel's Negev Desert and this promises to be a water technology with no consumables.