Food production uses large amounts of water. To be more precise, agriculture accounts for 70 percent of global water use. As the world’s population grows, increasing amounts of food, and therefore increasing amounts of water, are needed. At the same time, there are growing concerns about global and regional water scarcity. The question arises then: how can we use water optimally to help ensure food security? There are a variety of technologies that can improve the situation and provide sufficient food for growing populations. Chen Lei, from the Ministry of Water Resources in China, spoke at the WWF about some of the technological solutions that China has utilized. These solutions have enabled his country to feed 21% of the population with only 6% of the world’s land. China promotes the use of improved seeds, improved fertilizers, dry farming, and drip irrigation. While these are valuable technological tools, there are a multitude of other non-technological tools that can be used to address broader issues through institutional or political change. At the World Water Forum in Marseille France, a session on Wednesday, March 14 discussed this topic in a panel titled, “Contributing to food security by optimal use of water”. Speakers from China, Mali, France, India, Nestle, among others, contributed their own experiences and ideas to the discussion. Growing Demand For Food
There is a growing demand for food globally. Alexander Muller from the Natural Resources and Environment department at FAO (The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) set the scene for the discussion. The global population is growing, he said. It is expected that 60 percent more food will be needed to feed the additional three billion people that will exist by the end of the century. In order to produce this food, increasing amounts of water will need to be consumed. However, the barriers to producing greater amounts of food continue to grow. One barrier is decreasing resources in the face of a growing population.