According to this report, the bulk of world food will in the foreseeable future originate from rain-fed agriculture. A significant gain in crop production in rain-fed agriculture will have to come from small-scale harvesting of water in combination with protective irrigation. Remarkable successes have in fact been witnessed in poverty-stricken and drought-prone areas in India. Research suggests a large window of opportunity exists in terms of potential gains in crop yields that need to be analysed. This report provides an analysis of the problematic and an identification of fundamental research needs.