Swedish Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) discussion paper on the importance of water with regard to global food security.
This discussion paper examines the importance of water in ensuring food security around the world. Heavy exploitation of surface-water, growing demand from expanding urban areas, the problems associated with there being some 800 million undernourished and 2 billion overweight and obese persons in the world; all of these issues and more are examined in this paper, as well as, and from, the perspective of water and food security as a human right.
Following a summary and a small chapter looking ahead to the future, the paper is split into seven chapters which cover: human needs and wants, on the demand-side of food systems and water; water resources, mega-trends, and the need for partnerships; water for food supply, and the need for sustainable diets; human-rights, water-rights, and the need for access; how trade in food is also trade in water; synergies and trade-offs in the water-energy nexus; and savings and the most worthwhile uses of water and food.
The summary of findings from the paper focuses on the main challenges and opportunities facing water and food security sectors worldwide. These include that:
There is more than enough food produced worldwide to ensure no one need to hungry. The problem lies in distribution, and socioeconomic and cultural circumstances.
The view that access to household water, sanitation, and food is a human rights issue is now widely endorsed, and needs to be translated in concrete action.
Farmers, fisherman, and the wider private sector play an important role in water management and food systems. There needs to be renewed partnership between the private and public sectors, and civil society, to maximise effectiveness.
With uneven availability of water around the globe, trade must be a key ally in water and food security. This should be reflected in political initiatives and institutional arrangements.
A significant challenge is the correlation between growing wealth, and growing demand for water- and energy-intensive meat and dairy products. Between one-third and one-half of all food produced globally is questionably used with regard to such inefficiencies.
The era of cheap and easy food production is over; it is vital that we now focus on sustainable intensification, better nutrition, supporting women in food production and trade, reducing losses and waste, and making distribution, processing, preparation, and household refrigeration more efficient.
The paper also includes suggestions for a way forward that leads to a desirable future. The need for strong alliances is key, particularly synergising public and private efforts based on evidence and scientific understanding. Such cooperation is also key to effective governance of water and food supply, while the same goes for the need to integrate energy planning into questions of water use. The power of consumers to shape market behaviours is noted; correspondingly, corporations are also reminded of their responsibilities and capacity for change. Finally, transport, storage, market access and trade are suggested as key areas requiring investment.