Water technology opportunities and potential to address food water nexus
December 5th, 11 -12:30 PM EST; 4:00 – 5:30 PM BST
From our Smart Water practice area
Moderator: Tyler Algeo, Senior Water Technology Analyst, BlueTech Research
Panelists:
- Steve M. Hawkins, CEO, Smartfield
- Dotan Paz, Senior Sales Manager, AMIAD
- Naty Barak, Chief Sustainability Officer, Netafim
- Access to the live event
- 45 minute opportunity to interact with our Expert Panel
- Presentation slides
- Recording of the event
- Notes recapping Key take-aways of the event
Agricultural water use is the elephant in the room no one wants to talk about when it comes to water challenges. Agriculture uses a high 70% of the world’s fresh water annually, yet spending on agricultural-related water solutions is disproportionately small – only 8% of the global water market.
Agriculture is the industry with the biggest stakes – the global food supply system is one that could collapse unless urgent action is taken – and the biggest pay-off. All of the food we eat requires water, in the right amount and at the right times. Forty-percent of all food is produced on 25% of land that is irrigated,while global food security is hampered by lack of available water.
In 2012, for the sixth time in 11 years, world food reserve stocks have reached dangerously low levels – the lowest level since 1974. This leaves little reserves for unexpected events.
Lack of available finance and education of farmers are major obstacles that further restrict widespread adoption of more efficient irrigation technologies. Notwithstanding, other factors threaten the future of farming (e.g., saline soils, shallow water tables, inefficient irrigation, poor drainage, climated change, etc.).
To survive, the industry needs smart irrigation technologies that can save water, deliver it more efficiently, and realize significant monetary savings. The smart irrigation market has the greatest potential for growth and can indirectly address one of the biggest global issues we face – food insecurity.
The winners of the race will go to the farmers who apply the technology, the small, niche companies with breakthrough technologies for all points on the food value chain, and the investors who back them.Government entities interested in stimulating innovation that addresses efficient water resource management are investing in programs to make food production less risky. The US Agency for International Development and the Swedish government launched the “Securing Water for Food: A Grand Challenge for Development” for science and technology innovators to developed market-based approaches to more effectively use and manage water. More investment is needed.
This webinar provides industry critical insights, identifies market opportunities for investors, and highlights proven innovative technologies that can make the most impact.
Questions to be answered:
- Smart irrigation is all very fine, but where will the water come from? Will it be from seawater desalination, reclaimed wastewater?
- What is the potential for irrigation of salt tolerant crops with brackish water?
- Given the growth rates of the smart irrigation sector globally, why did John Deere exit the water sector?
- Is it economically and technically viable to use reverse osmosis to generate water for irrigation?
- While it is economically to use drip irrigation on high value crops like avocados and tomatoes, is it economical to drip irrigate mainstream industrial crops (e.g., corn, wheat, rice), which are ultimately the main-stay of the global food chain?
- Will the planned investment from groups like IFC or government agencies impact the market?
Who should attend?
- Investors looking to understand the market opportunity in smart irrigation systems.
- Technology providers looking for technology gap and unmet needs.
- Agriculture and irrigation business who wish to understand the economic and technical issues and future directions.
