Sustainability in Agricultural production no doubt is linked to proper water management. What we need is to account for each and every drop in Agriculture. Time is no longer there when nature used to be in our favor. We need to combine both demand and supply management in order to achieve the target of feeding the 9 billion people before 2050. Apart from technology water is a limiting factor at the moment. To do we need to know and to know we need strategies that should overcome the information poverty on water resources availability and its sustainable use especially in the developing world.
Claudia, I do agree with you but according to(Rockstrom, et al., 2003) The challenge of doubling food production over the next 25 years in order to keep pace with population growth requires increased attention to water productivity and rainwater management, simply making the best use of the local water balance.
Why do we continue to assume that agriculture can continue in its current state? Agriculture consumes 70% of the world's fresh water and everyone knows 80-90% is wasted. Pesticides and fertilizer contaminate the water supply.
Agriculture is the "elephant in the room." That's where the problem is and where the solution is.
Andrew, and others - Farmers think of themselves as businesses, so profit is the prime motivator, and food manufacture and processing is no different. Until activities to counter scarcity bring equal or greater profit, sustainability will not be interesting. But see GWI's F&B market report for detailed forecasts for water technologies and nutrient recovery - the figures are encouraging. http://www.globalwaterintel.com/foodandbeverage/?source=email. Write to me for more info: rn@globalwaterintel.com
That is very right, Edwin! When natural resources are getting scarcer in face of a growing global population and when many environmental systems are already destabilized, it is necessary to address consumption and production simultaneously with the imperatives of efficiency and resilience. This point is also well illustrated in a recent European Commission publication: “Sustainable food consumption and production in a resource-constrained world“ (http://ec.europa.eu/research/agriculture/scar/pdf/scar_feg_ultimate_vers...)
Sustainability in Agricultural production no doubt is linked to proper water management. What we need is to account for each and every drop in Agriculture. Time is no longer there when nature used to be in our favor. We need to combine both demand and supply management in order to achieve the target of feeding the 9 billion people before 2050. Apart from technology water is a limiting factor at the moment. To do we need to know and to know we need strategies that should overcome the information poverty on water resources availability and its sustainable use especially in the developing world.
Claudia, I do agree with you but according to(Rockstrom, et al., 2003) The challenge of doubling food production over the next 25 years in order to keep pace with population growth requires increased attention to water productivity and rainwater management, simply making the best use of the local water balance.
Why do we continue to assume that agriculture can continue in its current state? Agriculture consumes 70% of the world's fresh water and everyone knows 80-90% is wasted. Pesticides and fertilizer contaminate the water supply.
Agriculture is the "elephant in the room." That's where the problem is and where the solution is.
My work is here: http://www.solutioneur.com
It's time to solve problems, not continue to service them.
Andrew, and others - Farmers think of themselves as businesses, so profit is the prime motivator, and food manufacture and processing is no different. Until activities to counter scarcity bring equal or greater profit, sustainability will not be interesting. But see GWI's F&B market report for detailed forecasts for water technologies and nutrient recovery - the figures are encouraging. http://www.globalwaterintel.com/foodandbeverage/?source=email. Write to me for more info: rn@globalwaterintel.com
One another important dimension having bearing on sustainable food production (not included in the above list) is land-energy-water nexus.......
Everyone has to play a part to achieve sustainable global food production.
That is very right, Edwin! When natural resources are getting scarcer in face of a growing global population and when many environmental systems are already destabilized, it is necessary to address consumption and production simultaneously with the imperatives of efficiency and resilience. This point is also well illustrated in a recent European Commission publication: “Sustainable food consumption and production in a resource-constrained world“ (http://ec.europa.eu/research/agriculture/scar/pdf/scar_feg_ultimate_vers...)