Big ag's water use is fueling investment.

It’s not just venture capitalists and Israeli cleantech funds that are interested in water these days. Agribusiness giants such as Monsanto, Cargill and ConAgra are all allotting financial and staff resources to investigating new technologies and processes that improve the efficient use of water, according to John Balbach, managing partner of The Cleantech Group.

“Agricultural businesses may not always have access to cheap, abundant water, so new methods to grow and irrigate food are being analyzed substantially,” Balbach told Sustainable Industries recently.

“I can comfortably predict that in three to four years there will be a resurgence of interest in the formation of water funds,” he adds. “But there will be new funds focused on agriculture this time and agribusiness will drive that.”