The Nexus of Food and Water in Productivity - Essay Example

? of The Nexus of Food and Water in Productivity Introduction The following is a report focusing on food production and utilization of water resources. Water is the lifeblood of all living things and is essential for human survival. It is used in the production, processing and even preparation of food. Food, on the other hand, is used for provision of energy and is vital to human growth and development. For human survival, both food and water are of valuable importance. Utilization of water therefore needs to be regulated to preserve it for future use and also for the purposes of food production. Secondly, the paper will focus on the relationship between food and water security and possible solutions to the security of the two. In the conclusion, there will be focus on the solution to safeguard food and water security in both developed countries and developing countries. Food-Water nexus Water and food are extremely connected; the impact of the quality and proper usage of the two is made necessary by the utilization of water resources and practice of good agricultural methods. Water is very essential in the food industry. In the primary production stage, it is used in irrigation, livestock watering and aquaculture. According to Krittasudthacheewa 3, agriculture consumes about 70% of all surface water supplies whereas domestic and industrial usage takes up the remaining percentage. It also performs a main role in the preparation and processing stage where it is used as a means of transport, as an ingredient for washing, pasteurizing, cooling and steam production. In order to produce, process and prepare food, a lot of energy is required. Energy is used in the transportation, treatment and production of food. Water enables the production for hydroelectric power which aids in the food production process by provision of energy. Hydroelectricity provides 16% of global electricity and is expected to increase by about 3.1% each year for the next 25 years (Robbins, 3). Pollution of water causes a decrease in the purity of water. It is well known that the single largest user of water resources is agriculture. However, it is a cause of water pollution by discharge of pollutants from the agricultural practices carried out. Poor agricultural practices have resulted to loss of soil due to run off water and had also caused water logging because of hard pans. The pollution of animal waste and water used in irrigation leads to the pollution of surface and ground water. Irrigation flows carry salts, nutrients and pesticides which contaminate the water sources and alter the eminence of the water. The pollution has negative impact on food production especially since the polluted water is to be reused in future. Utilization of polluted water in the food production chain results in low quality and insufficient agriculture produce. It also impacts on the cost of production that rises due to increased costs in the purchase of the necessary curatives needed for maximum production and protection of the impact of the infected produce. It is therefore necessary to practice good agricultural methods while at the same time regulating water usage. Protection of water sources from pollution and unnecessary use normally results in increased productivity. The relationship between water and food production should be well balanced to ensure the continued supply for food and likewise existence of suitable and non-polluted water. The disturbance of one has tremendous impacts on the other. The two depend on each other for maximum productivity which is essential to cater for the ever increasing human needs and wants. Impact of food production and water security Water security is the access to safe water for consumption and sanitation. Food security on the other hand is the availability of safe, sufficient and nutritious food to live a healthy life. Interdependence between water and food is the reason why agriculture is responsible for much water exploitation. During food production, practice of unsuitable agricultural methods of farming can result to land degradation. This is caused by the change in runoff and disruption of ground water. The water quality has high influence farming. Water security encompasses protection of the vulnerable water systems. Floods and droughts come with seasonal differences and result in calamity. The utilization of surface water especially rain water should be maximized to ensure utmost consumption of available resources. Practices such as desalinating sea water, reclaiming waste water and accessing surface water as opposed to groundwater can influence policies put in place in the investment of food production and hydropower that will impact on improving political and economic security. Flood controls should be put in place to prevent loss of fisheries. This intervention is very necessary to meet the needs of the society that are insatiable and vary in tastes, preference and choice. Food varies widely in types and nutritional content. Water demands and food requirements are increasingly posing a serious challenge to developing countries due to high population growth and economic evolution. Agriculture, being responsible for 80% or more of net water withdrawals and as the main source of food, should be improved to minimize over exploitation of water reserves. Future planning is essential as this operation of food production is highly dependent on availability of high quality water (Ringler and Rosegrant, 2006). Solutions to food and water security It is estimated that by the year 2030, the world will need 40% more freshwater and 50% more food and energy. Taking this into consideration, there is the need to embrace policy reforms to provide quality water for the inevitable competing uses. The rapid growth in farming has to be met in the expansion of farming methods and policy reforms that aim in saving the existing usage of the natural resources especially water catchment areas (Konikow and Eloise, 2005). The possible two solutions that can aid in protection of water and food security are: 1. Government intervention 2. Protecting nature Government intervention The government is the most influential body in a country. The policies and reforms made by the government have a tremendous effect as they are adhered to. Policies such as water rights and privatization should be adopted. Such laws targeting water usage will result in changes in the institutional and legal environs that will lead to conservation of water usage. Reforms for pricing and effluent disposal charges should be considered in the aim of discouraging pollution of water reserves. Leak detection and repair programmes should be put in place to facilitate efficiency in food production and water usage. The practice of suitable agricultural practice such as drip irrigation should be encouraged. Maximizing surface water usage should be embraced by cutting down on the prices needed in the process. For instance, desalination requires more energy, as a result, the government should cut down on the cost needed in this process. This will act as an incentive to people involved in agricultural production. Protecting nature Ecosystems can provide many solutions like provision of water transportation by rivers, reduced disaster risk for coastal communities by coral reefs, storage of clean water by uplands water catchment areas. The functions of nature show the importance of biodiversity which is a significant part in water and food security. Forests should be protected as trees are extremely essential in the effect of climatic change. Places like Beijing, a city of about 20 million people saves US$1.9 billion annually in water supply/filtration functions by forestry protections. Ignoring protection of forestry and ecosystem will result to low development and migration of fisheries. In Lake Chad, Nigeria, engineers built dams and as a result, there was a drastic reduction in annual flooding. Lack of water for crops, fisheries, agricultural and pastoral livelihood followed and food production consequently decreased (IUCN, 2011). Ecological imbalance causes an alteration in climatic changes, this affects rainfall and forestry. The cutting down of trees has resulted to desertification in some parts of the world. Nature doesn’t cope well with human destruction. Humans tamper with nature out of ignorance. They don’t fathom the consequences of their actions. Without water life would not exist. Water makes up all living organisms, In fact water is life. It is said that one can go longer without food than water. Countries facing potential water insecurity in 2000 according to the ‘water Stress index (Webb and Iskandarani, 15) Country Population in Millions Water availability (M3 Per Capita) Internal renewable fresh water availability Water source including river flows from other countries Egypt 62.4 29 934 Saudi Arabia 21.3 103 103 Libyan Arab Jamahiriya 6.5 108 108 United Arab Emirates 2.0 152 152 Jordan 4.6 153 240 Mauritania 2.6 154 2843 Yemen 16.2 155 155 Israel 6.4 260 335 Tunisia 9.8 384 445 Syrian Arab Republic 17.7 430 2008 Kenya 34.0 436 436 Burundi 7.4 487 487 Algeria 33.1 570 576 Hungary 10.1 591 11326 Rwanda 10.4 604 604 Botswana 1.6 622 11187 Malawi 11.8 760 760 Oman 33.3 880 880 Sudan 33.1 905 3923 Morocco 31.8 943 943 Somalia 10.6 1086 1086 The table below shows the percentage population affected by hunger, under nutrition and malnutrition (World Hunger Education Service, 2012). Region % in $1.25 a day poverty Population (millions) Pop. In $1 a day Poverty (millions) East Asia and Pacific 16.8 1,884 316 Latin America and the Caribbean  8.2 550 45 South Asia 40.4 1,476 596 Sub-Saharan Africa 50.9 763 388   Total Developing countries 28, 8 4673 1345 Europe and Central Asia 0.04 473 17 Middle East and North Africa 0.04 305 11 Total   5451 1372 The relationship between food production and water usage, according to International Decade for Action, is deeply intertwined. This is because water is a vital element in production. Globally, the biggest water usage phenomenon is agriculture where irrigation claims close to 70%. There is global population growth and thus the need to ensure sustainable use of our most critical resource, water. Scientists argue that there is enough water available for our global future needs. However, some areas in the world have absolute water scarcity. The lack of enough water availability in this areas results in low agricultural production. It is predicted that population will grow to 8.3 billion in 2030 from 6.9 billion 2010. In the year 2050 the population is expected to rise to 9.1 billion. Consequently, by 2030 the demand for food is predicted to increase by 50%. Unfortunately, when other people are dying of food starvation, 30% of food produced worldwide is wasted annually. Also lost indirectly is the water used in the production of the food (World Hunger Education Service, 2012). The established long and extensive chains linking food production and food consumption have resulted in increased expenses. Production of highly nutritious food in areas with insufficient water is a major setback as there is lack of innovative technologies to facilitate such yield. Efficient irrigation strategies and reuse of drainage water can help in the crop protection and reduced post harvest losses. Proper usage of fertilizer should be embraced for maximum yield. The quality of water used in food production affects the yield of the produce. Water quality is vital as a component of food safety during production. Contaminated agricultural water has resulted in safety hazards and decreased food productivity. Effective water management strategies for improving and monitoring food production and the sustainability of water resources are being adapted in some of the countries in the world. Developing countries such as Asia have taken measures to avoid putting farmers/consumers at risks. Hazardous chemicals and virulent pathogens are monitored and treated. Treatment may be physical, chemical or biological. The aeration, sediment removal, filtration and diluting during the treatment processing increases the quality of the water. Land preparation, irrigation and drainage control also aid in avoiding pollution of water resource. Water quality can be made good to meet the expected requirements if pollution is avoided by all means. The government also plays an imperative role in water quality maintenance. Most governments do not provide necessary budget support. It essential that provision of such monetary factors be availed by the government to ensure compliance and implementation of the water quality standards by the farmers and citizens in a larger perspective. The government can also encourage irrigation technologies and practices like usage hydro-fumes that are deemed more effective as a measure of reducing pollution. There has been a sudden increase in water competition due to rapid population growth. For people to maintain healthy and productive lives, they must adopt suitable technologies. Clean technologies ensure there is environmental suitability. Desertification is a major threat to local food production in many countries. In accordance with humanitarian news and analysis, Egypt has only about 3% of cultivated land. This land is used for agricultural practices and it enables the feeding of the population of Egyptians and indirectly the whole world due to exportation. It is estimated that huge food gaps will widen in the future. The continuous development of houses in productive agricultural areas is a menace to the production of food (Buhaisi, 2010). Internationally, the rising sea levels are contributing to desertification. The intrusion of sea water into groundwater eventually causes a reduction in agricultural productivity. Countries like Egypt loose an estimated 11,736 hectares of agricultural land annually. The northern Delta has been lost and is not productive. This is due to poor drainage practices. Increasing desertification affects the levels of water availability. Water is needed to meet the increasing demands for day to day activities. The particular growing needs in countries for water consumption look to rise as each day goes by. Water is needed for domestic purposes, that is; cleaning, bathing, washing and cooking. In Africa, nutritional food stuffs are not available in most countries. The sub-Saharan has a population of about 14 million people, most of whom are malnourished. Majority of this population are children. Desertification is like a wave of course, it comes with dire consequences that make life much difficult (Fanzo, 5). Cutting down of trees has contributed highly to the desertification problem. Trees help in rainfall availability and other climatic factors. The wastage and human destruction of forests and natural vegetation should be discouraged by all means. Conclusion There is an ironic perspective between developed countries and developing countries. Most developing countries face the problem of food consumption due to lack of food resources whereas most developed countries is due to excess food production. The estimated 30% loss of food produced annually mainly comes from developed countries. The solutions to these two problems are quite obvious. Wastage of food should be discouraged. This can be done by limiting the amount of food being processed and also by exportation of the excess food that developed countries do not seem to need. The governments of most developing countries should encourage farmers to engage in large farming. Measures as simple as trapping rain water in homesteads can help improve the current situation in such countries. The maximum utilization of water resources in a responsible way can aid in minimizing the desertification and starvation problem (Franks, 2007). Human beings have the solution to this major problem. We should stop to interfere with nature. Pollution should be reduced by the individual people. If this is done, the world would be a better place. References Buhaisi, Mohamed. Egypt Agricultural Economic Overview, 2010. http://lombardglobal.com/egypt-agricultural-economic-overview/ Fanzo, Jessica. The Nutrition Challenge in Sub-Saharan Africa. Rome: Bioversity International, 2012. Franks, Stewart. Water Availability and Global Change. Paris: International Association Of Hydrological Sciences, 2003. IUCN. River Basins as Urban Water Infrastructure. Last modified 23 November 2011. http://www.iucn.org/news_homepage/all_news_by_theme/economics_news/?8660/River- Basins-as-Urban-Water-Infrastructure Krittasudthacheewa, Chayanis. Energy, Water and Food Security Nexus. “The Benefits and Challenges of Operationalizing the Nexus, 2012 p. 4-15. http://www.isis.org.my/files/2012/Nexus/Chayanis_Krittasudthacheewa.pdf (accessed April 25, 2013). Konikow, Leonard and Eloise Kendy. Groundwater Depletion: A Global Problem. Hydrogeology. 2005 (13). 317-320. Ringler, Claudia and Rosegrant, Mark. Impact on Food Security and Rural Development of Reallocating Water from Agriculture. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute, 2006. Robbins, Paul. Hydropower: Encyclopedia of Environment and Society. London: Sage Publications, 2007. Webb, Patrick and Iskandarani, Maria. Water Insecurity and the Poor. Bon: The Center for Development Research, 1998. World Hunger Education Service. World Hunger and Poverty Facts and Statistics, 2012. http://www.worldhunger.org/articles/Learn/world%20hunger%20facts%202002.htm Read More