AgBlog

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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”.