27 January 2014: The Business Call to Action (BCtA) has partnered with a leading social enterprise, Global Easy Water Products (GEWP), to deliver low-cost micro-irrigation systems to 300,000 families and smallholder farmers in India by 2018.

The initiative aims to help bring smallholder farmers out of poverty by boosting yields by as much as 50%, and thereby generating an additional $US400 in net income per household per year. The initiative offers two systems, which it says should pay for themselves within a year and require minimal maintenance: a drip irrigation system for crops like vegetables, cotton, sugarcane and horticulture; and micro-sprinklers for other crops, such as onions, ginger, garlic and fodder.

The initiative is working with local vendors, manufacturers, independent retail dealers, and the expertise of local technicians to build awareness about the benefits of the programme.

BCtA was launched in 2008 to accelerate progress towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by developing inclusive business models, with support from Australia, the Netherlands, Sweden, the UK, the US, along with the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the UN Global Compact and the Clinton Global Initiative. [UNDP Press Release] [BCtA Website]