Water plays a crucial role from production to consumption of the food value chain that is the biggest consumer of water. Of the total water consumption in the food value chain, 80% is utilized during the production stage and the remaining 20% during the post-harvest supply chain. The situation is opposite for energy use; 80% of energy is used in post-production activities, including processing, storage, refrigeration, and marketing, and 20% for production activities. According to some estimates, about 90% of water used by people is embedded in the food that they consume. However, not all the food that is produced worldwide is consumed. FAO estimates that one third of all food produced globally is lost or wasted and with it all the water used to produce, process, store, and transport this food is also lost. This is recognized in the target setting of sustainable development goals, where the target 6.4 deals with improving water-use efficiency and target 12.3 with reducing food loss and waste.

Water Use in Food Value Chains: A Challenge for a New Green Revolution?

Introduction

International Seminar

While the food, and consequently water is being wasted and despite having enough food in the world at global level to feed the current world population, almost 800 million people are undernourished and about 40% of people around the world face water scarcity. With increasing incomes, diet patterns are changing, particularly in rapidly growing economies. Higher demand for meat, dairy products, and fizzy drinks, in the cultures, which in the past depended mostly on pulses, legumes, and vegetables for their calories intake means that more water is required. The challenge is to find ways for providing adequate and nutritious food to the world population and to ensure environmental sustainability and protection of water resources. This challenge translates in different, yet mutually supporting manner, to the three phases involved, i.e. production, value and supply chains, and consumption-end.

8th October 2017, 11:30 -15:30 - Room TOLTECA II

Water plays a crucial role from production to consumption of the food value chain that is the biggest consumer of water. Of the total water consumption in the food value chain, 80% is utilized during the production stage and the remaining 20% during the post-harvest supply chain. The situation is opposite for energy use; 80% of energy is used in post-production activities, including processing, storage, refrigeration, and marketing, and 20% for production activities. According to some estimates, about 90% of water used by people is embedded in the food that they consume. However, not all the food that is produced worldwide is consumed. FAO estimates that one third of all food produced globally is lost or wasted and with it all the water used to produce, process, store, and transport this food is also lost. This is recognized in the target setting of sustainable development goals, where the target 6.4 deals with improving water-use efficiency and target 12.3 with reducing food loss and waste.

International Seminar

While the food, and consequently water is being wasted and despite having enough food in the world at global level to feed the current world population, almost 800 million people are undernourished and about 40% of people around the world face water scarcity. With increasing incomes, diet patterns are changing, particularly in rapidly growing economies. Higher demand for meat, dairy products, and fizzy drinks, in the cultures, which in the past depended mostly on pulses, legumes, and vegetables for their calories intake means that more water is required. The challenge is to find ways for providing adequate and nutritious food to the world population and to ensure environmental sustainability and protection of water resources. This challenge translates in different, yet mutually supporting manner, to the three phases involved, i.e. production, value and supply chains, and consumption-end.

The flip side of this picture is the increasing obesity and overweight, which have been on the rise, especially in recent decades. WHO reports that most of the world's population live in countries where overweight and obesity kills more people than underweight. Although not incorporated in the food waste and loss calculations, this condition has natural resource implications similar to loss and waste.

From a perspective of water resources management, the production stage offers a number of options related to governance, management, technology and social and cultural norms and preferences. More efficient and productive use of water, better irrigation system and on-farm management, appropriate technology, among others.

The value and supply chains offer a different set of parameters, and associated opportunities, for water savings. Measuring water footprints can help understand the magnitude of water use in food-value chain and water neutrality, a relatively recent concept to reduce and neutralize negative externalities of water use hence save water resources, can help improve sustainability of water resources. There are two major elements of water neutrality: i) minimize water footprint by doing everything that is ‘reasonably’ possible; and ii) offset remaining water footprint through “reasonable” investment in projects that seek sustainability of water use and equitable use of water. Offsetting needs to be done in the same hydrological unit where water footprints are created and the investments should be proportional to the vulnerability of the water body or the region.

Generally, food is produced by farmers but processed, packaged, distributed, marketed, and retailed by private sector. Public-policy should guide and regulate and monitor their water footprints. A concerted effort of all different stakeholders of food supply chain is needed to solve the complex issues water sector faces today.

The consumer-end involves two additional dimensions: (i) being better, conscious consumers who not only minimize waste (of food, water, energy) but prefer those products produced the same in mind, and (ii) being good stakeholders of the relevant frameworks supporting these policies, practices, and preferences. Water was crucial to the first green revolution in 60s and 70s and will be required to play even more important role if there is to be a new green revolution to feed fast growing population of the world. In the context of climate change, water scarcity, and higher competition for water resources from other sectors, efficient and productive use of water and energy, not only at the production stage but throughout the process of food supply chain, is needed. Without the right policies and strategies; improvements in governance and management of water resources throughout the food supply chain; and successful efforts to attain water neutrality, the new green revolution will be hard to achieve.

Water Use in Food Value Chains: A Challenge for a New Green Revolution?

To this end, FAO proposes to organize a seminar, in collaboration with International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID), on water use in the food value chain during the 23rd ICID congress in Mexico. This seminar seeks to initiate a discourse, among irrigation and water professionals, and other stakeholders on the topic.

ObjectivesThe aim of the seminar is to highlight water use in the food value chain, from production to consumption, and discuss relevant concepts and approaches to address the issue.

The main objectives are to:

• kick-start a discussion on effective, efficient, and productive use of water throughout the process of the food supply chain, from production to consumption; and the importance of water neutrality.

• showcase examples that try and tackle effective use of water at different stages of the food value chain and what approaches and methods were used in improving water productivity and efficiency, and addressing water neutrality.

The seminar will try to address the following issues:

• What is the best method to assess water productivity and efficiency in the food value chain?

• How can private sector actors be engaged in reducing losses, particularly during the post-harvest activities?

• Can food supply chain really be water neutral? What kind of investments work to offset water footprints?

• Should initiatives of achieving water neutrality be completely voluntary, or should there be a role of public-policy and regulator in this?

The seminar will have:

1. Setting the Scene: A key-note speech by FAO to introduce the concept, and highlight the issues, key challenges, and options for addressing the use of water in food value chain.

2. Presentations: 3 to 4 presentations by invited speakers to present case studies/experiences/practices showing i) improvements (in terms of efficiency and or productivity) of water use in food value chain; including post-harvest activities; ii) achievements in water neutrality; iii) considera-tions for policies to promote effective water use in the food value chain.

3. Panel: Moderated panel discussion including interaction with audience. Panel will consist of the key note speaker, and other presenters.

Organized jointly by: Land & Water Division, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID).

Agenda

Water Use in Food Value Chains: A Challenge for a New Green Revolution?International Seminar

11:30-11:45

11:45-11:50

11:50-12:05

12:05-12:20

12:20-12:50

12:50-13:00

13:00-14:00

14:00-14:30

14:30-15:20

15:20-15:30

Time Title Proposed speakers

Welcome address

Introduction and Objective

Keynote speech

Water use efficiency and productivity in production

Can food supply chain really be water neutral?

What role can private sector play in mainstreaming environmental externalities through collective action?

Lunch Break

How can consumer behaviour be a game-changer?

Panel Discussion including interaction with the audience

Conclusion and closing

Overall Session Chair: Dr. Olcay Unver, Deputy Director, Land and Water Division, FAOChair: Mr. Felix Reinders, Honorary Vice President, ICID

Rapporteurs: Ms. Adey Mersha (Ethiopia) & Mr. S.S.Saboory(Afghanistan),YPs Session Assistant: Sergio Ivan Jimenez Jimenez (Mexico)

• Dr. Saeed Naiziri, President, ICID• Er. Avinash Tyagi, Secretary General, ICID•Dr. Olcay Unver, Deputy Director, Land and Water Division, FAO

• Ms. Patricia Mejias-Moreno Land and Water Division, FAO

• Dr. Olcay Unver Deputy Director, Land and Water Division, FAO

• Mr. Ian Makin Lead Specialist, International Water Management Institute (IWMI)

• Mr. Emilio Díaz, Manager Livestock Milk, Nestlé• Coca Cola, TBC

• Mr. Colin Herron Freshwater Program Director, The Nature Conservancy, Mexico

• Walmart Mexico• Mr. Ricardo Morales, Manager AGRODER

• Keynote speaker & the presenters

• Dr. Olcay Unver, FAO• Er. Avinash Tiagi, ICID

8th October 2017, 11:30 -15:30 - Room TOLTECA II