Today, Securing Water for Food released its 2018 Annual Report. The program has exceeded the expected outcomes envisioned when it was created and recently had those outcomes validated by the Final SWFF External Program Evaluation.

SWFF innovations have impacted more than 6 million farmers, their families, and other customers, helping make them more resilient to economic and climatic shocks and moving them forward on their journey to self-reliance. For every $1,000 that has been spent by the SWFF program, SWFF innovators have impacted more than 240 customers/end users, grown more than 300 tons of produce, helped farmers reduce their water consumption by more than 1 million liters (compared to traditional practices), improved water management on 515 hectares of grazing lands and more than 225 hectares of farmland, and generated more than $250 of sales.

SWFF innovators have helped farmers produce nearly 5 million tons of food.

In addition, since the program began, SWFF innovators have helped farmers produce nearly 5 million tons of food on more than 6 million hectares of rangeland and cropland that are under improved practices due in part to SWFF innovations. Both of these numbers are well ahead of the program’s expected 2018 targets. SWFF innovations have also helped reduce water consumption by 17 billion liters compared to traditional practices, quadruple the 4 billion liters expected in the 2018 program target.

SWFF innovators have nearly met their $6.5 million sales targets, and they have leveraged SWFF funding for more than $20 million in additional funding through more than 300 partnerships, which helps reduce the need for future donor assistance for these innovations.

Of the 17 SWFF innovations that weren’t terminated in their first year for not meeting their targets, 16 graduated from the program. With one exception, more than one year after their SWFF awards ended, all Rd. 1 graduates are still financially viable, and three are now profitable. SWFF is working with FutureWater’s spin-off to help them achieve financial sustainability.

The report features details of these and other results, innovator success stories, and an analysis of the impact of technical assistance provided by the SWFF TA Facility. Download the report.