Produce more. Conserve more.

Tomorrow’s challenge: By 2050, United Nations’ experts say our planet must double food production to feed an anticipated population of 9.3 billion people.

A dwindling water supply coupled with farmers in need, increased demands for energy, and a rapidly changing climate have placed more pressures on agriculture than ever before. How do we overcome these obstacles? Understanding all the challenges is the first step to creating solutions. Innovation holds the key.

Spotlight on sustainability: Agriculture and water

World Water Day 2010 is bringing water to center stage in the month of March. Accordingly, this precious resource is the focus of this month’s Spotlight on sustainability, which will explore the challenges surrounding water and the solutions that are available.

The World Health Organization reports that nearly one fifth of the world’s population (about 1.2 billion people) live in areas where water is scarce. One quarter of the global population also lives in developing countries that face water shortages due to a lack of infrastructure to fetch water from rivers and aquifers.

And while water scarcity is a complex issue with no easy solutions, many experts are looking to advances in agriculture to help. Currently, agriculture is the biggest user of fresh water on the planet accounting for nearly 70 percent of total withdrawals, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. But technological and agronomic advancements have the potential to improve water use efficiency.

Better irrigation practices and improved seeds can enable farmers to grow the food we all need using less water—which we also all need. It’s another way farmers can produce more and conserve more.

  • Irrigation Wheeline

    Get a close look at an irrigation wheeline system, which moves across the field under its own power. Photos courtesy of Idaho Farm Bureau.

    Posted 2 months ago

  • Gothenburg Water Utilization Learning Center

    How can farmers utilize technology to conserve water and mitigate drought? Check out the tools and innovations at the Gothenburg Water Utilization Learning Center.

    Posted 6 months ago

Country Snapshots

Explore progress being made in sustainable agriculture around the world.

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