Imagine a World Without Israel : Israel: Innovative Irrigators

Due to a contributing number of factors, the fields of Europe are having a difficult time staying watered. Climate change, a population increase, urbanization, and government demands have transformed areas once teeming with fresh water into areas that struggle immensely. Farmers in locations such as the Po Valley are abandoning the wide range of crops they once raised for soybeans and corn in order to take advantage and receive EU (European Union) subsidies for crops to be used in bioenergy production.

Israel has already taken an impressive leap into improving the situation. The Israeli drip-irrigation developers, Netafim, are leading an international coalition to develop new precision technologies that will refine irrigation control and maintenance, therefore increasing water availability for crops that require a larger amount of water. Named FIGARO (Flexible and Precise Irrigation Platform to Improve Farm Scale Water Productivity), the €6 million project will “build a system to enable precise irrigation based on humidity, climate conditions, plant needs, and other factors, all based on a smart computerized system,” said Adriano Battilani, scientific manager of the FIGARO project and a collaborator and pioneer of the plan, which is being managed together with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. FIGARO will consist of a computerized model that will track and direct water activity, thus reducing the dearth of water some areas face.

Paired with recycling technologies and water conservation projects the EU is instituting, the Israeli-developed technology being provided by Netafim will have a significant effect on European farming in the years to come. The program has already been implemented at nine sites in Europe and Israel as a pilot program. If the trials achieve their goals, FIGARO will be extended to the rest of Europe.

Below are some links in which Israeli irrigation has assisted in other aspects, more information about FIGARO, and a video describing FIGARO.

1. http://www.thetower.org/advances-in-israeli-water-technology-assisting-in-worldwide-food-production/

2. http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/israeli-firm-heads-international-team-to-reduce-agricultural-waste/11241

3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-jAKvKcWP0#t=191

4. http://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-water-tech-comes-to-rescue-of-eu-farmers/