How future water and food shortage are linked

I stumbled across this presentation while doing some research on (potential) future food shortages. Obviously both water and food shortage are linked, although strangely enough I never made this connection until I saw this presentation.

To me, food shortage (and price volatility due to this) was going to intensify because of four factors:

• climatic change (more severe weather with failed harvests as a result);
• biofuels (using increasing portions of farming land);
• rising middle class in emerging markets (with rising demand for some 'upscale' food products);
• the rising world population (going to 9 billion soon).

As this presentation shows, I should add water shortage to the list... But what it also shows is that this doesn't have to lead to a dramatic outcome. Better -more rational- water management should not even be so hard to develop; ensuring food for 9 billion people is a challenge, but not unfeasible to respond to...

Well worth having a look:

Trends And Scenarios In Agricultural Development - Colin Chartres - International Water Management Institute (IWMI)

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