"For many people, particularly in developing countries, water scarcity will become a part of their livelihoods. The business-as-usual (BAU) scenario shows that in the year 2025, food insecurity and water scarcity will increase. If demand from industry and domestic sectors grows further, and if no more resources are made available for irrigated agriculture, agriculture, poorer economies, and particularly the poorest population in these economies, will be confronted with lower food production and reduced access to agricultural markets. In principle, supply constraints could be substituted by food imports, but only if adequate financial resources are made available. Since this is not likely, water policy changes and institutional reforms are needed such as the implementation of economic incentives to enhance the productivity of water." -- from online abstract | PR | IFPRI3; GRP22; Theme 3; Environment and Natural Resource Management; IMPACT | EPTD

For many people, particularly in developing countries, water scarcity will become a part of their livelihoods. The business-as-usual (BAU) scenario shows that in the year 2025, food insecurity and water scarcity will increase. If demand from industry and domestic sectors grows further, and if no more resources are made available for irrigated agriculture, agriculture, poorer economies, and particularly the poorest population in these economies, will be confronted with lower food production and reduced access to agricultural markets. In principle, supply constraints could be substituted by food imports, but only if adequate financial resources are made available. Since this is not likely, water policy changes and institutional reforms are needed such as the implementation of economic incentives to enhance the productivity of water.

IFPRI3; GRP22; Theme 3; Environment and Natural Resource Management; IMPACT | Ringler Claudia et al., 'Auswirkungen der zunehmenden Wasserverknappung auf die globale und regionale Nahrungsmittelproduktion [Implications of growing water scarcity on global and regional food production]', Zeitschrift fur Angewandte Umweltforschung , IFPRI, 2005

Water productivity in agriculture is multi-facetted, difficult to apply beyond a mere physical interpretation of it, and common to a variety of disciplines, each one of them with its own interpretation of the scales of analysis, the objectives of the analysis and the terms of the indicators used. However, if one understands the pitfalls, the water productivity approach can be useful in a given situation - defined by a specific scale of analysis, a specific sub-sector or farming system, a spatial and temporal perimeter - to explore the potential of improving the productivity of existing water resources and produce more food per unit of water. In this paper, a cross-analysis of the management of the 100,000 ha Tadla irrigation scheme (Morocco) and the performance of the dairy supply chain, depending on this scheme, is undertaken to explore the possibilities of improving the water productivity through a better coordination in the irrigated dairy supply chain. (Résumé d'auteur)

To investigate the effects of body size and water temperature on feeding and growth in the sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus (Selenka), the maximum rate of food consumption in terms of energy (C(maxe); J day(-1)) and the specific growth rate in terms of energy (SGRe; % day(-1)) in animals of three body sizes (mean +/- SE) - large (134.0 +/- 3.5 g), medium (73.6 +/- 2.2 g) and small (36.5 +/- 1.2 g) - were determined at water temperatures of 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 degrees C. Maximum rate of food consumption in terms of energy increased and SGRe decreased with increasing body weight at 10, 15 and 20 degrees C. This trend, however, was not apparent at 25 and 30 degrees C, which could be influenced by aestivation. High water temperatures (above 20 degrees C) were disadvantageous to feeding and growth of this animal; SGRe of A. japonicus during aestivation was negative. The optimum temperatures for food consumption and for growth were similar and were between 14 and 15 degrees C, and body size seemed to have a slight effect on the optimal temperature for food consumption or growth. Because aestivation of A. japonicus was temperature dependent, the present paper also documented the threshold temperatures to aestivation as indicated by feeding cessation. Deduced from daily food consumption of individuals, the threshold temperature to aestivation for large and medium animals (73.3-139.3 g) was 24.5-25.5 degrees C, while that for small animals (28.9-40.7 g) was between 25.5 and 30.5 degrees C. These values are higher than previous reports; differences in sign of aestivation, experimental condition and dwelling district of test animals could be the reasons.

This research was aimer/ to study the extend of non enzymatic browning reaction in food models containing the mixture of tapioca starch, casein, sucrose and oh at different moisture contents (2.55%, 5.26%, 7.54%, 15.20%. 15.93% and 23.99%) and storage temperatures (30, 55 and 700C). The non-enzymatic browning reaction was detected from brown color intensity measured by spechtrophotometer and colorimetric methods. The non-enzymatic browning reaction or food model follow pseudo-zero order reaction, suggesting that browning reaction occurred at moisture content above monolayer zone. T-Tg (T storage - Tg prediction) and reaction rate constant (k) plots showed that browning reaction occurred at temperature around glass transition and increased significantly at 150 above Tg of casein. Tapioca starch in the food model was under glassy condition. The mobility of substrate increased and diffused at amorphous matrix.