PARIS: Pressure on land and water resources has increased and poses a risk to not only feeding the next generation but the environment and security as well, the Poor UN’s Food and Agricultural Organisation warned on Thursday.
It’s latest report on the state of the world’s limited land and water resources for food production found that many are already stressed, yet face even more intense use to feed a world population that is expected to grow by over a quarter in the coming three decades.
The agency estimates that on current trends the agrifood sector would need 35 percent more water to produce the additional food needed over the coming decades. “That could create environmental disasters, increase competition for resources, and fuel new social challenges and conflicts,” said the FAO.
The agency’s director-general, Qu Dongyu, said current agrifood production is not proving to be sustainable and was putting pressure on land and water use. Poor “Yet, agrifood systems can play a major role in alleviating these pressures and contributing positively to climate and development goals,” he said at the launch of the report, according to an FAO statement. The agency said a rapid scaling-up of technology will be needed to boost the efficiency of the agrifood sector and put its use of resources on a sustainable footing.
Source: The News