New Report Brings Attention to Importance of Water in Food Security

A new report has been released by the Stockholm International Water Institute in preparation for 2012 World Water Week (August 26-31). The report, Feeding a Thirsty World: Challenges and Opportunities for a Water and Food Secure Future , highlights the crucial role that water plays in agriculture, food production, and food security.

According to the report, almost 900 million people remain hungry throughout the world, with a further 2 billion people suffering from undernourishment. With the global population expected to reach 9 billion by 2050, the pressure put on agricultural production, and the water used in it, will only increase in the coming years. At this year's Rio+20 Summit, water was recognized as an issue of critical importance; this report attempts to address the challenges associated with the world's diminishing water resources.

The report covers a wide swathe of issues related to water resources and food security, including:

• increasing water efficiency in food production
• linking food production to human health and environmental demands
• reducing waste along the entire food supply chain - "from field to fork"
• ensuring water security in urban areas
• building key partnerships to ensure good governance of the world's water resources

The report also discusses new avenues of thought regarding water security: issues such as food waste, gender issues, land acquisitions, and early warning systems for agricultural emergencies.

As the global population continues to grow and the world faces increased competition for water between food production and other uses, we will need "a new recipe to feed the world in the future," says report editor Dr. Anders Jägerskog.