Key Collaborations

The Global Agricultural Productivity Report (GAP Report) is an annual call to action to invest in proven strategies to produce food, feed, fiber, and bioenergy in a sustainable manner to meet the needs of a growing world. DWFI is a consultative partner of the GAP Report and the GAP Initiative at Virginia Tech University that supports it. DWFI provided a partner story (page 40) for the report, sharing its research on agtech entrepreneurship and how they can help identify functional gaps in the ecosystem, facilitate and expedite commercialization, and aid startup founders and investors in leveraging existing resources. A supportive ecosystem for agtech entrepreneurs is essential to driving agricultural productivity growth and meeting the growing demand for food. The 2024 GAP report was launched at an event in Washington, D.C. on October 3.

DWFI collaborated with the Nebraska Corn Board, Nebraska Soybean Board, and the Midwest Dairy Association to host a Nebraska-focused agricultural innovation side tour for attendees of the 2025 Water for Food Global Conference. DWFI has a close relationship with local and regional commodity boards through its work in Nebraska and through the Nebraska Water Center.

DWFI is a partner of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) on its new initiative on water for agriculture to foster sustainable development across the Americas. The initiative also includes the World Bank Group, the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (CEPAL) and the Inter-American Development Bank. IICA works throughout the Americas on agricultural development and rural well-being. Director of Research Christopher Neale is coordinating the activities with IICA and participated in a workshop in Costa Rica to further the discussions.

DWFI is collaborating with the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) on the Columbia Commission on Water for Food Futures (CWFF), a new initiative capturing the state of developments and exploring future solutions to the growing water and food security challenges globally. The two institutes hosted an exploratory side session during the 2025 Water for Food Global Conference to engage stakeholders in shaping the priorities, partnerships, and outputs of the commission. Integrating evidence and inputs from commissioners, key experts and young professionals from across the globe, the CWFF will produce a high-level report which will be launched in 2027.

DWFI hosted several delegations from the Brazilian states of Parana, São Paulo and Mato Grosso, as well as the federal government of Brazil and the national cooperative for agriculture, throughout 2024 and at the 2025 Water for Food Global Conference. Visitors included the Governor of the State of Parana and the Secretary of Agriculture for the State of Sao Paulo to discuss sustainable water usage and irrigation policies, drawing on Nebraska’s expertise and the state’s unique system of Natural Resources Districts. The conversation built on DWFI’s previous collaborations with the states of Bahia and Mato Grosso to intensify agricultural production sustainability.

The visits led to a new partnership, IRRIGASIM with SIMEPAR (an agency of Parana) to conduct hydrological and agricultural studies aimed at identifying suitable areas for sustainable irrigated agriculture using both groundwater and surface water, a project funded by the Araucaria Foundation with matching contributions from the Secretariat of Agriculture of Parana.

DWFI and the Nature Conservancy have jointly hosted a “Nature Hub” exhibitor booth at various large-scale global events over the past several years, and are planning a similar booth at the upcoming 2025 World Water Week event in Stockholm, Sweden. Through this partnership, they promote nature’s role in driving water security while achieving efficiencies in staff and budget resources between the two entities. Other co-sponsors include Wetlands International and the World Wildlife Fund.

In July 2024, DWFI hosted Ann Vaughan, Deputy Assistant Administrator of the Bureau of Resilience, Environment, and Food Security at the U.S. Agency for International Development. During Vaughan’s visit, the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition (USGLC) collaborated with DWFI to host a luncheon and roundtable discussion for local policymakers and leaders in the agriculture industry titled “America’s Global Leadership: Growing Opportunity for Nebraska.” DWFI was also invited to attend and host a booth at USGLC’s 2024 Heartland Summit in Omaha, Nebraska in Fall 2024, where U.S. Senator from Nebraska Don Bacon was a keynote speaker.

In July 2024, an international delegation visited DWFI to learn about strategies for drought preparedness and resilience. The visit was part of a broader initiative through the International Visitor Leadership Program and hosted by the U.S. Department of State and the Institute of International Education, aimed at fostering global cooperation on drought-related challenges.

The delegation, composed of water, agriculture and infrastructure professionals from 20 countries, spent seven days of their three-week visit to the United States in Lincoln, Nebraska. They engaged with DWFI experts on topics such as small-scale farming, water governance, water quality, human health, precision irrigation, and crop water use efficiency within the context of drought. Additionally, the delegation met with other organizations in Lincoln focused on drought mitigation and water management, including the National Drought Mitigation Center, the Lower Platte South Natural Resources District, Valmont Industries, and the Groundwater Foundation. Other locations visited by the delegation include Washington, DC; El Paso, Texas; Denver, Colorado; and Los Angeles, California.