Ten strategies for wise water use thru food and agriculture

CHICAGO — March 22, 2013 is the 20th anniversary of World Water Day. Although about 70% of the earth’s surface is covered by water, only 0.001 percent is fresh and available for human consumption. The largest portion of this—70%—is used for agriculture.

Global agricultural water consumption is expected to increase by approximately 19% by 2050.
“Nearly one billion people suffer from hunger and more than 2.3 billion live in water-stressed areas. Understanding the global food system and making smart, sustainable changes in the way we eat and produce food now, can help prevent both famine and thirst in the future,” says Ellen Gustafson, co-founder of Food Tank.
Food Tank: The Food Think Tank and the Barilla Center for Food & Nutrition (BCFN) have launched a new joint initiative highlighting World Water Day and ways in which eaters, farmers, and policymakers can reduce their water footprint. 
In 2012, the United States experienced the most severe drought in at least 25 years, which, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), affected 80% of agricultural land in the country. Couple that with recent droughts in other parts of the world, most notably in the African Sahel, and the urgency for action to safeguard water resources is clear.
“Drought is a problem for farmers across the world. But from the U.S. to Ghana, extraordinary water-saving innovations are being developed by farmers, research institutions, and NGOs. The solutions are out there, but they need more attention, more research, and ultimately, more funding and investment,” says Danielle Nierenberg, and co-founder of Food Tank.
Extreme weather events aren’t the only threat to agriculture and water resources. As water supplies face mounting pressures from growing populations, climate change, and an already troubled food system, water wealth and water security are entering the heart of the international discourse around global cooperation and stability. Highsnobiety Style