Putting Agriculture on the Post-2015 Agenda

Although the agriculture sector was denied the opportunity to become part of the solution to the climate challenges our planet faces at COP19 this week, all may not be lost.

Next week at a UN meeting in New York, the first steps will be made in formulating the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are set to replace the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) when they expire in 2015. This will present yet another opportunity for the voice of the agriculture sector to be heard, and offer ways to contribute to a sustainable future.

A new infographic by Farming First has taken a new approach to looking at the post-2015 development agenda by skipping forward in time to the year 2030 (when the SDGs are expected to expire) in order to ask the question, “Are we taking the necessary steps NOW to meet the predicted needs we will have in 2030?”

Take water stress as an example. If business as usual continues, it is predicted that by 2030, almost half of the global population (3.9 billion people) will experience severe water scarcity, particularly in Brazil, Russia, India and China.

Perhaps even more alarming, is the fact that by 2030, if current consumption patterns continue, global water demand will increase more than 50%, meaning that the demand for water will be around 40% higher than what will be available.

But reducing water scarcity is not an unattainable goal.  A recent study by the Challenge Program on Water and Food has concluded that there is enough water in major river basins to last until at least 2050.  As one reviewer put it, “there is enough water, we’re just dumb about using it.”

However, this does not mean that local communities will not experience water scarcity. It simply means that the water exists – we just need to learn how to capture and harness it more effectively.  Improved agricultural practices such as no-till farming that allows soil to retain its moisture can go a long way to help - but a wealth of other strategies exist.

The International Water Management Institute is working to alleviate water scarcity, particularly in the agricultural sector.  This can be addressed by:

• Improving water productivity through improved irrigation technology and smart water supply policies
• Improving water storage by investing in ponds, reservoirs, wetland and groundwater recharge
• Reducing food waste
• Supporting ecosystems that retain water in the environment

Solutions to water scarcity exist. The big question for the post-2015 agenda is how to utilize these solutions and achieve them at scale to avoid unnecessary gaps in water availability.

With agriculture being arguably the most water-intensive industry, it would be unthinkable to leave it off the agenda. The quantity of missed opportunities would be innumerable.

Explore the full infographic at www.farmingfirst.org/post2015