AgBlog

Is Soil Salinity a Threat to Our Food Security?

Dr. Itamar Nadav
By Dr. Itamar Nadav on 27 April 2023

Soil is a vital resource for feeding the burgeoning global population which is expected to reach over 9.8 billion people by 2050. The presence of excess salts in the soil make it saline, and pose a significant threat to farm productivity, environmental health and financial welfare. Based on the FAO/UNESCO soil map of the world, the total area of saline soils is 397 million hectares (Mha) which is approximately 3.1% of the world’s land area (FAO, 2005). Moreover, future projections of climate change and human population growth suggest that the extent of saline soils will grow accordingly.

Are we ready to give up on 36 million better citizens?

Hagar Kostianovsky
By Hagar Kostianovsky on 05 December 2022

At the turn of the millennium, as a fresh college grad with sparkly eyes and a passion to make an impact on the world, I joined a social NGO that initiated and operated learning centers for children from low income families. My mission was to recruit the business sector to take an active part in volunteering for this cause. The search for companies who would want to involve their employees in long term corporate volunteering was a frustrating journey filled with lots of “No, thank you!” as companies for the most part were interested in a quick and immediate route to doing good and making their employees feel good about themselves. My personal journey to meaningful, impactful, and lasting corporate social responsibility had begun.

How Global Warming is Impacting the World's Favorite Pink Drink

Laurent Huet
By Laurent Huet on 02 August 2022

Rosé wines are on the rise. With its pink hue, light taste and refreshing blast of red berry flavors, rosé is a great partner for food and come summertime, pink is what you want to drink.  In the past decade, rosé has been globally rebranded - with celebrities and luxury brands alike scooping up vineyards. Consumption of the pink drink has increased by 20% over the last 20 years, and is expected to rise by as much as 50% by 2035 due to growing demand.

Let’s make water’s role in sustainability a global goal

John Farner
By John Farner on 25 April 2022

On April 22, at the urging of the United Nations, we came together to focus on a more sustainable economy that works for both people and the planet. But for real sustainability, we need to better use our remaining water 365 days a year.

Precision agriculture for a sustainable regional future

Gabriel Miodownik
By Gabriel Miodownik on 09 March 2022

I just returned from Dubai, where I had the honor of speaking at the AgrIsrael conference, at the invitation of Israel’s Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Like most of us in Netafim, I’m very familiar with deserts. I’ve visited numerous Netafim projects in the deserts of the Middle East, and I’ve been to our projects in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Siwa and elsewhere.

But this time was different. 

Fields of Opportunity for Female Empowerment

Victoria Lilti
By Victoria Lilti on 04 March 2022

As an agricultural engineer at Netafim, working as Project Manager with the Africa and Middle East team, I am reminded on a daily basis how technology is fundamentally changing the field of agriculture, and in doing so, helping to drive the empowerment of women. Many aspects of agriculture have traditionally been male-dominated, from ownership to expansion to marketing and sales but technological advances, combined with changing global dynamics and awareness, are slowly transforming the field both literally and figuratively, making it more accessible to women.

My life changing vacation in Tanzania

Monir Ahuisat
By Monir Ahuisat on 02 February 2022

As the Community Outreach and Volunteer Resources coordinator at Netafim Israel, I am privileged that my work and my passion for impacting society are in sync. Netafim’s commitment to social responsibility, applying its innovation and creativity to strengthen and empower the community and its weaker links is a principle that I have fully related to during my 25 years at the company and am now responsible for putting into action.

Seeds of change are growing thanks to precision agriculture

Celia Dunkelman
By Celia Dunkelman on 17 January 2022

Once a month, I head to Tohoku, which 10 years after the devastating Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami of 2011 that followed, is still a place that’s totally transformed.

The Battle Against Spring Frost Warms Up

Orit Katzir
By Orit Katzir on 15 December 2021

Spring frost is not a new phenomenon. A frost in the early spring season is defined as such when the temperature falls to 32°F / 0°C or and lower, and arrives at a critical temperature at which plant tissues (cells) will be destroyed. It happens when the tree is in the most sensitive phase in its stage of growth.

We need to stop looking at wastewater as waste

Dror Negbi
By Dror Negbi on 08 July 2021

When you think about wastewater what comes to mind (and nose)? Likely, a long list of bad-smelling, murky colored substances: human waste, sewage, food scraps, oils, soaps, and chemical pollutants. While no one argues that wastewater is a messy cocktail, a huge environmental hazard, and a painful headache for industry and municipalities, it also has unfulfilled potential as a valuable contributor to sustainable agriculture and a global food secure future. Given that half of the world's population will suffer severe water stress by 2030, the time has come to stop looking at wastewater as a liability and start maximizing its potential as a resource.

A worldwide track record from inception to completion

Liad Blaier
By Liad Blaier on 24 March 2021

One of the upsides of my job is being able to be a part of a process and see things come to fruition. This for me, is also one of the great benefits of working at Netafim. As a company which was born in the fields and was led by farmers, the strategy has never seemed to revolve only around selling products but rather around bringing an entire agricultural project to life. Over the last 10 years I have been privileged to embark on this exciting journey many times and accompany farmers, governments and organizations around the world who chose us as their partners when transforming their farming operation. 

Can Humanity Gamble on the Weather? - From Rainfed to Irrigated Agriculture

Lior Peleg
By Lior Peleg on 01 February 2021

For all of us who may have forgotten, our food chain starts with photosynthesis. Yes, the process we learned about in elementary school. Everything alive on planet earth depends on the miraculous ability of plants to turn carbon dioxide (CO2), sunlight, and water into carbohydrates (sugar). CO2 comes from the atmosphere, actually, we have too much of it. Light is courtesy of the sun, but water needs to reach the plant's roots either naturally by rain, or artificially by irrigation. Without the constant availability of water, the food-producing machine called a plant works in a suboptimal way or stops working completely. The bottom line, if our crops don’t get a consistent supply of water we will have less food to go around.

Test. Validate. Go! Our tradition of innovation

Abed Massarwa
By Abed Massarwa on 13 January 2021

20 years ago, it used to be very simple. When I had an idea for a product or a
feature I would leave my desk, go down to the manufacturing floor and ask the
technician to scoot over so I could try it out. An hour later I would know if I had
something worth investing in, or whether this whole idea would just be a big flop.
Years later, I found out that this innate development process even had a really fancy
name: “Rapid Prototype Development”.

The future of food lies in data transparency and sharing

Assaf Yerushalmi
By Assaf Yerushalmi on 08 December 2020

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