Prestigious honor recognizes sustainable water achievements of drip irrigation leader
Netafim receives Stockholm Industry Water Award during World Water Week
SIWA was established by the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) in collaboration with the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development. The prestigious award recognizes improved performance in production processes, new products, and management, as well as innovative approaches in water and wastewater technologies, which together help improve the world's water situation.
In announcing the award winner earlier this year, SIWI said that drip technology, developed by Netafim upon its establishment in 1965, is responsible for irrigating over 10 million hectares of farmland worldwide. “Globally, 70 percent 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,” the committee said. “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.”
"We are truly honored to receive the 2013 Stockholm Industry Water Award,” said Igal Aisenberg, Netafim President & CEO. “As the global pioneer and leader in drip irrigation, we are 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."
"As a veteran of Netafim and as an Israeli, I’m proud of our receiving this award,” said Naty Barak, Netafim Chief Sustainability Officer. “Drip irrigation, which originated in Israel’s Negev desert and spread to the entire world, provides a solution for the world’s most difficult challenges. Owners of large sugarcane plantations in South America, corn growers in the US, and poverty-stricken smallholders in Kenya, Brazil and India use our drip irrigation technology to achieve greater yields while saving water. Along with our feeling of pride for receiving the award, we recognize that there’s a long road ahead of us, and we’re determined to continue leading the way."