Water security means food security on the World Population Day 2019

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<4 mins read. Approx. 350 words

The context:

It’s World Population Day today. World population is projected to reach approx. 10 billion by 2050. While water and food may seem interdependent, many a times their issues do not overlap. Combine that with political unrest and improperly managed water resources, the situation turns quite grim from the African countries to Asia and beyond.

Some data points:

“Food production is the largest consumer of water, and also represents the largest unknown factor of future water use as the world’s population continues to balloon, and we face increasing weather-related shocks and stresses,” said Laura Schulz, Acting Deputy Assistant Administrator in USAID’s Bureau for Economic Growth, Education and Environment. She spoke at “Feeding a Thirsty World: Harnessing the Connections Between Food and Water Security,” an event sponsored by the Wilson Center, Winrock International, the Sustainable Water Partnership, and USAID earlier in April 2018. Currently about 70 percent of global water goes to agriculture, a number that is projected to rise “as high as 92 percent,” said Rodney Ferguson, the President and CEO of Winrock International.

Five quick facts on population and food production (FAO)

1. Demand for cereals, for both food and feed, is projected to reach 3B tonnes by 2050, up from 2.1B tonnes today.
2. 90% of crop production globally (80% in developing countries) is expected to come from more production and higher yields.
3. 300M tonnes (almost 3 folds increase from today) of cereal is expected to reach the developing countries by 2050, to make up for their 14% increase in consumption.
4. 72% of cereal production (up from 58% today) shall come from developing countries in 2050, aiding the annual global cereal production to reach 1B tonnes.
5. Production in developing countries will need to be almost double by 2050, and overall by 70% globally.

Reducing water usage and managing the crop productivity better:

One of the most effective ways to accomplish the above is innovation. Often times, the SDGs also do not account for the inter-relationships between water and food production.

In conclusion:

‘Self- reliance’ shall be the key word in this ever changing climate and rapidly growing world. By enabling the farming community to take care of their water and crop systems, we can work towards ensuring the self-reliance for the current and future populations.

Disclaimer: This post originally appeared on Engineering for Change’s website, under the heading, ‘Water Security will Take Precedence in Food Production as Populations Rise’. It has been slightly edited, for the readers of this blog.