Access to sufficient and clean freshwater is essential for all life. Water is also essential for the functioning of food systems: as a key input into food production, but also in processing and preparation, and as a food itself. Water scarcity and pollution are growing, affecting poorer populations most, and particularly food producers. Malnutrition levels are also on the rise, and this is closely linked to water scarcity. The achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 2 and 6 are co-dependent. Solutions for jointly improving food systems and water security outcomes include: (1) strengthening efforts to retain water-based ecosystems and their functions; (2) improving agricultural water management for better diets for all; (3) reducing water and food losses beyond the farmgate; (4) coordinating water with nutrition and health interventions; (5) increasing the environmental sustainability of food systems; (6) explicitly addressing social inequities in water-nutrition linkages; and (7) improving data quality and monitoring for water-food system linkages, drawing on innovations in information and communications technology (ICT). Climate change and other environmental and societal changes make the implementation and scaling of solutions more urgent than ever. | Non-PR | 1 Fostering Climate-Resilient and Sustainable Food Supply; IFPRI4; DCA | Natural Resources and Resilience (NRR); Transformation Strategies

Agriculture is the largest human use of water. Clearly, agricultural practices need to be targeted to reduce wastage of water. This has been the centre of attention for water saving practices for some years. But there are additional ways to save water. Food consumers and businesses have a key role. This paper discusses the current problems of food demand and water scarcity and outlines some possible solutions to these issues. <br /><br />The amount of food produced on farmers&rsquo; fields is much more than is necessary for a healthy, productive and active life for the global population. Losses and wastage may be in the order of 50 percent between field and fork. Inefficient harvesting, transport, storage and packaging make a considerable dent in the potential availability of food. The situation now is characterised by rapidly increasing prices on food with dramatic repercussions for the poor, rates of inflation and, generally, for the stability of society.<br /><br />The authors recommend a range of actions. These include: <br /> support to farmers - actions are needed to support farmers, especially small farmers, to curb losses of water and food and to facilitate that their produce meets the growing demands for food through: improved seeds, harvesting technologies and storage and innovative ways to capture and beneficially use the rain water to lessen stresses on rivers and groundwater<br /> improve food processing and supply - the business community should take action to minimize water wastage through reducing food wastage in their processing and transport by: benchmarking standards to indicate water use; taking action to minimize wastage in their processing and transport systems; and raising publicity about their water use<br /> sensitise consumers - raise awareness amongst consumers about the water implications of their diets, overeating and food wastage through incentives, practical guidance and well designed campaigns<br /> disseminate basic data and information &ndash; there is a lack factual information about different types, size and implications of losses and wastage of food. An important step is therefore to improve knowledge.

The 2012 GHI report focuses particularly on the issue of how to ensure sustainable food security under conditions of water, land, and energy stress. Demographic changes, rising incomes and associated consumption patterns, and climate change, alongside persistent poverty and inadequate policies and institutions, are all placing serious pressure on natural resources.In this report, IFPRI describes the evidence on land, water, and energy scarcity in developing countries and offers two visions of a future global food system - an unsustainable scenario in which current trends in resource use continue, and a sustainable scenario in which access to food, modern energy, and clean water improves significantly and ecosystem degradation is halted or reversed. Concern Worldwide and Welthungerhilfe provide on-the-ground perspectives on the issues of land tenure and title as well as the impacts of scarce land, water, and energy on poor people in Sierra Leone and Tanzania.