}
Sustainable Impact

Sustainable Impact

We strive to create a lasting positive impact, for the planet, our people and the communities where we live, work, and do business.

Sustainability is not a choice, it’s a necessity

Sustainability is the understanding that the purpose of the corporation extends far beyond profit. At Netafim, we believe that our products, services and the way we conduct our business should serve the progress and wellbeing of our entire ecosystem and future generations.

 

We have a legacy of sustainable impact

We started out growing food in the Israeli desert where we had to use water sustainably. From this challenge, came an opportunity to fundamentally change how our food is grown around the world.  Or in other words: Sustainable agriculture. 

We aim to achieve sustainable impact not only through precision agriculture but also by being a driving force for prosperity in the communities in which we operate, and by conducting our day to day business in a responsible manner. We are proud to be part of the Orbia family of businesses, all united by a shared vision and a  commitment to advance life around the world.

We're taking action, everyday, everywhere

Sustainable Agriculture

Sustainable Agriculture

Our unique approach to agriculture, precision irrigation, is all about helping farmers to grow more food using fewer resources. In this way, agriculture becomes a way to break the cycle of poverty, and to generate sustainable livelihoods that sustain farmers, their communities, and societies.

HERE'S HOW

People & Communities

People & Communities

We aim to connect communities to greater economic and social opportunity by leveraging our technology, scope, scale, and employees and collaborating with local and international partners.

FIND OUT HOW

Our Commitment to SDGs

Our Commitment to SDGs

We support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and remain committed to driving progress on select goals that are closely aligned to our Sustainable Impact strategy.

LEARN ABOUT SDGS

Responsible Business

Responsible Business

We are committed to operating ethically, legally and transparently. We strive to take actions and apply our knowledge and expertise to drive a progressive agenda for the benefit of business, society and the planet.

OUR VALUES

From the plant to the planet - everybody is a winner with precision agriculture

 

Sustainable Agriculture

It's time to change how we grow food

Let’s face reality. Our natural resources are shrinking while the world’s population is growing.   We must rethink how we grow our food and its impact on the environment.

Climate

Changing rainfall patterns and frequent droughts are creating unpredictable weather which leads to less stability in our entire food chain. For farming communities to survive and thrive, they must reduce their dependence on the weather and take an active countermeasure.

Land

40% of our planet’s land is already used for agriculture. We can’t afford to clear more land to grow food.  Meanwhile, monoculture, soil erosion and over-intensive farming are destroying the land we have, making it unsuitable for farming. Deforestation is not the answer.

Water

2.3 billion people already  live in water stressed countries. With agriculture using 70% of the planet’s freshwater, and droughts becoming more frequent, water-efficient farming is a global priority.And yet,  75% of the water used in agriculture is wasted through inefficient traditional  irrigation methods.​

The facts & numbers are staggering

 

The world is hungry for sustainable agriculture solutions

We help the world grow more with less 

We know two things for a fact: We can’t count on the rain and we can’t continue irrigating the traditional way. What we can do is start practicing precision irrigation, everywhere.

Precision irrigation is all about helping farmers achieve higher yields, and better-quality crops, while using less water, fertilizer and energy. Regardless of the crop, climate, soil, or region, our mission is to empower men and women, smallholders and large farms, to grow more food using fewer resources.

Here’s why precision irrigation is a game changer for global food security

Regenerative agriculture is the need of the hour

We need to grow food in a way that preserves the earth’s soil, rebuilds the natural ecosystem, protects biodiversity and helps reverse catastrophic climate change.  Getting started with regenerative agriculture requires efficient irrigation; making sure the soil is getting watered equitably and with little to no waste.  Whether it’s soil health, GHG emission reduction, carbon sequestration or water conservation, our precision irrigation solutions support both farming productivity goals and the soil’s needs.

Bringing Circularity to the forefront

We’re committed to Zero-Waste in Farming.  We acknowledge our responsibility to minimize the impact of plastic waste on the environment. It starts with our drip lines. “ReGen -Netafim Circularity" is our solution for collecting, recycling, and treating used irrigation driplines in a responsible way. This is circularity at its best and a win-win for farmers and  the environment.

Netafim is committed to using at least 45% recycled content in its global drip line manufacturing processes by 2030.

Learn about our circularity programs throughout the world

We always knew drip irrigation benefits the environment

Now we can back it up with data

Measuring our products’ environmental impact is part of our commitment to sustainability.  This is the reason we’re investing in LCAs; rigorous Life Cycle Assessment studies that assess the environmental impact of our products and processes. 

Our first LCA study with corn shows that compared to flood and sprinklers, corn irrigated by drip demonstrates a higher yield, required significantly less fertilizer, and resulted in reduced carbon emissions.

Carbon & water credits are the currencies of our future

Addressing Climate Change through Reducing Carbon and Replenishing Watersheds

We partner with farmers around the world to not only better manage their crops, but also promote sound environmental practices. Drip irrigation saves water, reduces fertilizer use, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, and promotes soil health.

As private investment to promote these practices through carbon credits and water replenishment projects continues to grow and evolve, we partner with our customers to recognize the opportunity to monetize their work in promoting biodiversity and enhancing our environment.

People & Communities

Empowering our communities

We support the communities in which we live and work, engaging in community projects and initiatives around the world.

35% of our employees volunteer in their communities

We promote, facilitate and support volunteer work of our employees in order to contribute to the development and wellbeing of society.  The majority of our activities involve our core business: precision irrigation and sustainable solutions.

Our yearly #UsingLessDoingMore campaign aims to harness our employees to create a positive social-environmental impact. In 2021 we planted more than 10000 trees in three reforestation projects (Amazonas, India & California). In 2022 Netafim employees dedicated 6500 hours volunteering in their community.

Learn more about the #UsingLessDoingMore 2021 and 2022 campaigns.

 

We bring change for smallholders

Our innovation goes beyond  the development of new products and solutions. We are implementing a new business model entitled Community Agriculture, that aims to transform the entire agriculture sector.

Community agriculture is a strategic financial-driven model that brings together small holders, agri-investors and technology with the goal of ensuring sustainable and thriving farming communities by generating predictable income for farmers and compelling ROI for investors.

We empower women with skills and knowhow

The most effective way to solve poverty is by empowering women. Women represent almost half of the global agricultural workforce, yet they produce far less food than men.

This needs to change.

To encourage the adoption of new technologies among women growers, we are sharing as much knowledge as we can and we are bringing the power of precision irrigation to them, so they can gain more control over their household’s income and over their own lives.

Read more

We help communities thrive

We collaborate with community partners to make a positive impact in our communities. We mostly focus on activities that reflect our core skills, utilizing the knowledge and experience of our employees to advance sustainability and agriculture education, constructing community gardens, and promoting industry and technology to young people.

In Peru, for example, we partner NGO "Kusimayo" to train thousands of families to use our electric-powered water tanks to optimize  their crop yields in their organic gardens, enabling them to improve their livelihoods and generate sustainable income.

We educate for sustainability 

As a company with a strong commitment to sustainability, we hold a variety of activities with children and youth in order to equip the future generation with the knowledge and tools to promote and facilitate a better and more sustainable future.  Through our educational program, conducted jointly with the Israeli Ministry of Education, we encourage girls to solve problems using techniques they devise.

Our Commitment to the SDGs

Driving a sustainable future, together.

It is our privilege to have a business strategy that directly contributes to delivering 8 of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals.

UN Sustainable Development Goals

Our sustainability action plan is aligned with the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which comprises 17 global goals supported by 169 targets. Right now, we’re making the biggest global impact by focusing on the following goals:

We build the resilience of farmers, specifically those in socio-economic stressed nations by reducing their vulnerability to drought and other climate related events.

We ensure a safe and reliable food supply while increasing the productivity of agricultural land through knowledge transfer, technology adaptation, and support for farms of all sizes.

Along with our parent company Orbia, we are committed to increasing the number of women in management roles globally.

We increase water use efficiency in agricultural production through the precise application of water and nutrients, resulting in increased water conservations and water quality.

We build resiliency through increased green and public spaces while minimizing the overall environmental impact of cities, through efficient irrigation and water management

We provide a full circular solution for our plastic products, beginning with collecting and recycling drip lines at the end of their life. This significantly reduces plastic waste sent to landfills, while increasing the amount of recycled plastic materials used in our manufacturing process, and lowering our carbon footprint.

We strengthen the adaptive capacity of farmers to mitigate the effect of climate-related and natural disasters globally, through innovative solutions that reduce GHG emissions, and reduce the risks associated with droughts.

We bring together public and private entities to provide natural resources and agricultural production management solutions, helping farmers of all sizes around the world.

“Our purpose is to grow more with less. We have shown that drip irrigation can improve crops and farmers’ lives, addressing multiple needs for sustainable development.”

Gaby Miodownik, CEO

Mobilizing global business leaders on water challenges

The CEO Water Mandate is a UN Global Compact initiative that mobilizes business leaders on water, sanitation, and the Sustainable Development Goals. Our Chief Sustainability Officer, John Farner was invited to join the CEO Water Mandate Steering Committee alongside nine other corporate leaders from around the world.

We believe in transparency

Since becoming a signatory in 2008, we continue, and will continue, to uphold the 10 Principles of the Global Compact and report to our stakeholders on our progress each year.  We publicly report on our progress through a full Sustainability Report, prepared in accordance with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards every two years and a Communication on Progress in the interim years.

See our Communication on Progress report

Read Orbia 2021 Sustainability report

Responsible Business

Running an ethical business is our priority

Operating ethically, legally and transparently are fundamental to maintaining strong relationships over time with all those connected to our business.

This is what we stand for

Netafim′s Code of Ethics is our guide to doing business in a compliant manner; ethically, responsibly and transparently. The Code represents our business culture and values and helps employees and all those with whom we do business know what we stand for and what to expect from Netafim in all our activities and transactions. 

It also includes other values; fairness, responsibility, integrity and an uncompromised commitment to quality.  These have been part of the Netafim DNA since our establishment and represent another layer of our across-the-board obligation to adhere to the rules and regulations in all countries and communities in which we operate.

We operate sustainably

Beyond the positive climate impact of our products, we also practice lean supply chain management and environmental stewardship through our own operations. We comply with environmental legislation and applicable regulations in every country in which we operate. In addition, we aim to operate efficiently and reduce our direct footprint as far as possible. Our factories around the world operate to similar standards, running similar processes, so we have the opportunity to learn from each other and share best practices for energy efficiency, water conservation, reuse of scrap materials and all other aspects of lean operations.

We invest in our employees

More than 5,000 employees and some hundreds of contract-based professionals and support staff spread across 110 countries contribute to advancing our mission to help the world Grow More with Less™. They drive our spirit of innovation and our business success. 

We operate a suite of leadership, development and training frameworks for our employees to develop their capabilities and 

enhance their contribution to delivering our shared mission.

We embrace our differences

Advancing diversity, equality, and inclusion makes our business stronger. Innovation is the result of the rich and diverse cultures, ethnicities, perspectives, knowledge, and experience of our employees, and our diverse teams develop solutions that better serve our customers. Together with Orbia we work with a variety of organizations to provide employment for refugees in our sites.