1 rich Libsyn https://www.libsyn.com 90 600 Episode 49 - Irrigation as a Service: A New Paradigm In our first episode of 2026, host&amp;nbsp;Frances Hayes&amp;nbsp;discusses a unique approach to supporting access to irrigation for smallholder farmers with&amp;nbsp;Erin Anders, Senior Program Manager at the Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute. &amp;nbsp; Farmers of all sizes in all parts of the world need access to water, inputs and financing to grow food. Irrigation as a Service (IaaS) is an emerging business model to expand irrigation access, especially to smallholder farmers, and ultimately grow more food. &amp;nbsp; Irrigation as a Service (IaaS) has a broad definition but generally refers to the concept of third-party providers of irrigation in which the farmers do not own or maintain the equipment. The companies that arise under this business model can look very different and employ a variety of methods. However, they all unlock vital irrigation access to millions of smallholder farmers globally without the burden of high upfront costs. &amp;nbsp; Erin and her team have been working closely with and supporting entrepreneurs across the globe who are pioneering and providing this essential irrigation as a service, including those featured in the&amp;nbsp;DWFI’s recent series on IaaS. In this episode, she gives an insider's look at the challenges and potential of this growing movement. Daugherty Water for Food Podcast https://waterforfood.nebraska.edu <iframe title="Libsyn Player" style="border: none" src="//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/39690585/height/90/theme/custom/thumbnail/yes/direction/forward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/88AA3C/" height="90" width="600" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen></iframe> https://assets.libsyn.com/secure/item/39690585