Netafim is the global leader in drip- and micro-irrigation solutions and water-saving technologies. Founded in Israel in 1965, Netafim today provides equipment and services in over 110 countries that enable farmers to produce more with less water.
Currently, more than ten million hectares of farmland are irrigated with drip irrigation, a technology pioneered by Netafim, that dramatically improves water, energy and labour productivity. The use of drip irrigation typically halves water use compared to other irrigation solutions and at the same time increases crop yields.
“Globally, seventy per cent of our finite freshwater is used for irrigation and with rapidly expanding demand for agricultural products there is a dire need to improve water productivity. Netafim’s remarkable achievements, helping farmers across the world to ‘grow more with less’, are directly contributing to a more water and food secure world,” said the Stockholm Industry Water Award Committee in its citation.
Netafim will receive the Stockholm Industry Water Award at a ceremony on September 3 during the World Water Week in Stockholm.
Upon receiving the news, Igal Aisenberg, Netafim President & CEO said, “We are truly honoured to receive the Stockholm Industry Water Award. As the global pioneer and leader in drip irrigation, we have always focused on saving water. With water and land scarcity topping the list of today’s major global challenges, we’re leveraging our expertise and experience in drip technology to help combat food price inflation, ensure food security, and achieve water sustainability. This prestigious award is testimony to our efforts and inspires our work to continue to help reduce water usage and make the world a better, more sustainable place.”
Building stronger family farms
Netafim has designed a specific solution for small holder farmers in developing areas. The Family Drip System™, a gravity-based drip irrigation system, eliminates the need for labour-intensive bucket irrigation, while also saving water. Beyond innovating technical systems, Netafim provides training, capacity building, and knowledge transfer in cooperation with local organisations to help farmers in developing countries maximise yields with existing resources. In, Niger, for example, application of the Family Drip System enabled farmers to more than triple their production of select fruits and vegetables. In India, Netafim’s community irrigation systems and training programmes in sustainable food production have helped over 40,000 small farmers reduce waste on their farms and increased their incomes by twenty per cent over three years. Netafim also regularly holds seminars to educate farmers on water saving techniques in locations around the world. Beyond agriculture, they are also a leading provider of water saving solutions for mining and landscaping, improving their productivity while reducing the environmental impact.
About the Stockholm Industry Water Award
The Stockholm Industry Water Award honours the business sector’s contribution to sustainable water management. It recognises improved performance in production processes, new products, and management, as well as innovative approaches in water and wastewater technologies which together help to improve the worlds water situation. The Award was established in 2000 by the Stockholm International Water Institute in collaboration with the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development. www.siwi.org/siwa
