IA Principles & Priorities

The IA supports principles that

Promote the transformation of humanity’s stewardship and wise use of water while enabling the long-term sustainability of the planet’s water and natural resources

  • Recognize the contributions irrigation makes to conserving and protecting natural resources and the environment
  • Acknowledge the roles played by the irrigation industry and its professionals in the stewardship of these resources.
  • Recognize the opportunities and responsibilities our industry has towards contributing solutions that enable long-term sustainability

Recognize the value of irrigation and the industry’s social and economic contributions towards improving the quality of life through a reliable global food supply and vital green spaces

  • Acknowledge the role irrigation plays in ensuring global food security and productivity
  • Recognize how irrigation contributes to creating healthy and thriving communities

Promote adoption of efficient irrigation products and services, and the utilization of qualified industry professionals

  • Encourage voluntary incentive-based programs, including necessary outreach and education, to increase end user adoption of irrigation products and services
  • Recognize the critical role qualified professionals and industry-recognized standards and best practices have in ensuring the wise use of water through the design, installation and maintenance of efficient irrigation systems

Promote innovation and support a thriving industry

  • Support continuous improvement, investments, infrastructure, technology advancements, innovation and research to advance the industry, ensuring the wise use of water and meet humanity’s productivity and environmental sustainability needs
  • Ensure regulatory and other requirements balance public health and environmental protection with the societal benefits of a thriving irrigation industry, while ensuring they are developed via collaborative stakeholder driven processes and are based on sound science, robust data and industry best practices.
  • Ensure a business climate that promotes a thriving industry

Foster a professional, expert workforce that meets the needs of the industry and advances the value of water

  • Recognize and respect the expertise of certified industry professionals
  • Address workforce development, education and labor availability to meet current and future industry needs
  • Promote diversity, inclusion and opportunity throughout our industry’s workforce

Promote practices that support healthy, robust and effective associations that enable the IA to effectively champion the industry and its interests.

Principles in Action: IA Advocacy Priorities & Portfolio

The IA’s advocacy portfolio and priorities are developed and consistent with Board-established IA Principles and are prioritized by the IA staff to aligned our KPIs and continually refined to support our OKRs. The advocacy portfolio is informed by insights from committees, volunteers, members and key stakeholders, and is evaluated and modified on a rolling basis – with regular reports to and engagement with the board of directors.

Elevated impact and value

  • Developing champions for the irrigation industry among key elected and appointed officials.
  • Advancing policies to incentivize increased adoption of irrigation products and services and increased use of irrigation professionals via the Farm Bill, the Water Conservation Tax Rebate Parity Act, and other federal, state, and local conservation incentives and tax rebates, as well as support for and engagement with the EPA WaterSense program.
  • Public affairs initiatives to promote the value of irrigated landscape and irrigated agriculture.
  • Public affairs initiatives to promote the benefits of adopting efficient irrigation products and services and engaging with irrigation professionals.

Professional, expert workforce

  • Enhancing association credentialing programs, while creating opportunities and financial resources for industry professionals to pursue postsecondary certifications via engagement with Professional Certification Coalition and the Freedom to Invest in Tomorrow’s Workforce Act.
  • Meeting the workforce needs of the industry through improvements to the H-2B and H-2A guest worker programs and immigration reform.
  • Ensuring the recognition and acknowledgment of IA certification via engagement with USDA NRCS and EPA WaterSense, as well as advocating improvements to the Technical Service Providers Program in the Farm Bill.

Thriving, growing industry

  • Advancing the industry’s interests in the development and implementation of state and local product requirements and irrigation restrictions, with a particular emphasis on new requirements around pressure regulating spray bodies and irrigation controllers.
  • Enable irrigation businesses to thrive by advocating for a tax code that fosters innovation, investment and growth (through deductibility of research and development expenses, interest expense deductions and full deductibility of capital expenses).
  • Minimize barriers to trade and ensure international trade policy that recognizes the realities of the irrigation industry’s global supply chain.
  • Reduce the burdens of excessive federal and state regulations that impede business growth, ensuring that irrigation companies can focus on innovation and efficiency rather than compliance hurdles.
  • Promoting industry innovation and advance industry interests via engagement on WaterSense specification development (Spray Sprinkler Nozzles) and engagement with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
  • Ensuring protection of intellectual property and industry’s interests in state and federal consideration of right-to-repair legislation.
  • Supporting innovation by advancing rural connectivity and advocating for cyber security tools, resources and support via the Farm Bill and engagement with federal and state cyber security partners.

Association business vitality

  • Monitoring policy and legal issues impacting associations and our activities including antitrust, tax and credentialing
  • Engaging with association peer organizations on opportunities to advocate for and educate elected officials, the media and other audiences about the critical role associations play in building stronger communities and economies.

* Strategic Priority and FY2024 OKR

Adopted by the IA Board of Directors, November 2024.