Google and agricultural technology solutions provider Arable have announced a collaboration focused on water replenishment, with Google committing to finance projects to implement Arable’s efficient irrigation technology for farmers in North and South Carolina.
The companies report that Google intends to invest over $4 million to utilise Arable’s technology across 20,000 acres, aiming to save upwards of 500 million gallons (1.9 billion litres) over eight years.
Established in 2014, Arable facilitates data-driven decision-making in agriculture and natural resource management to enhance agricultural sustainability and productivity. The company’s solutions integrate IoT technology, machine learning, and advanced modelling to transform in-field weather, crop, soil, and irrigation data into real-time insights.
Arable’s crop intelligence platform allows farmers to make precise irrigation decisions by providing real-time data on factors such as weather, soil moisture, and crop health. The companies have stated that the projects are expected to positively impact groundwater in some of the most at-risk river basins and aquifers in North and South Carolina. Benefits are expected to include improved water availability and quality, farmer training on new technology, enhanced on-farm profitability, and reduced greenhouse gas emissions.
Jim Ethington, CEO at Arable, stated:
“By combining reliable, real-time data with intuitive decision tools, we’re helping farmers do more with less—less water, less energy, and less risk. We’re excited to bring much-needed technology to a region where the need is high and the impact on farmers and ecosystems can be significant.”
In 2021, Google announced a water stewardship ambition to become water positive by 2030, pledging to replenish more water than it uses and to support water security and ecosystems in the communities in which it operates. The collaboration with Arable, the company claims, will bolster its goal to replenish 120% of its freshwater consumption by 2030.
Suzie Shin, Data Centre Sustainability Programmes Manager at Google, commented:
“Supporting responsible and sustainable water use in agriculture is essential for the long-term health of ecosystems and communities. With data centre campuses in both North Carolina and South Carolina, we’re proud to build on our work with Arable to bring this solution to a region we have called home for nearly 20 years.”
