New Agricultural Water Policies, But We Still Have Problems

A couple of posts ago, I discussed the issues surrounding agriculture’s use – and overuse – of freshwater. Recently, I came across an article by the National Farmers Union (NFU) that was raising the issue that water policies must give farmers the ability to grow food to meet demand.

Extensive irrigation (source: National Geographic)

Water Use and Food Security

On 3^rd December, the Government’s Water Bill reached the parliamentary committee stage. The NFU is calling on the government to ensure that policies recognise the critical link between water and food security, and that they help to allow farmers to use enough water to grow our food.

Without irrigation, we would not be able to produce enough food to feed our growing global population, and so there is a key link between agricultural water consumption and food security. The less water agriculture utilises, the less secure our supply of food. However, it could be argued that current rates of water use are severely detrimental to future food security.

‘Sustainability’ – An Unreachable Concept?

For me, this raised an interesting point, and it is one that seems to underpin many debates in regard to environmental change. Are we able to meet the current needs of our global population without harming future generations, and vice versa?

In terms of agricultural water consumption, the term ‘sustainability’ doesn’t seem to fit. Farmers need access to water if their production is to meet our consumer demand. If current usage is to become more sustainable, irrigation techniques must become more efficient (see Terry Howell's 2001 Agronomy Journal paper for more detailed information), genetically modified crops requiring less water must be more widely grown, and we must adapt our diets to aid in the reduction of agricultural water consumption.