Member countries of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, Heads of Delegations and partners of the Global Framework on Water Scarcity in Agriculture (WASAG) on October 17, adopted the Rome Declaration on Water Scarcity in Agriculture, aimed at addressing water scarcity, increasingly exacerbated by the climate crisis, particularly in the agriculture sector.
The WASAG initiative was launched at the United Nations Climate Conference in Marrakesh in 2016 to support countries in addressing water scarcity challenges.
The United Nations (UN) had earlier projected that by 2050, more than half the global population will live in areas at risk of water scarcity at least one month a year and agriculture — which uses over 70 per cent of freshwater withdrawals — is particularly vulnerable to water scarcity.
Through the declaration, the countries committed to mobilise greater political support in terms of policies, legal and institutional frameworks, access to financing, and responsible water governance to address the effects of water scarcity and climate change, including both floods and droughts, on global food security.
In his address to the High-Level Dialogue, the FAO Director-General QU Dongyu underscored the need to create sustainable, resilient and inclusive agrifood systems, and to position agriculture at the core of international climate change discussions.
“The solutions we develop must reflect the interconnected nature of water security, agrifood systems and climate resilience,” Qu said, stressing that addressing water scarcity is critical for building more efficient, more inclusive, more resilient and more sustainable agrifood systems.
The declaration was launched on the occasion of the High-level Rome Water Dialogue, taking place on the sidelines of FAO’s annual World Food Forum (WFF), taking place at FAO headquarters in Rome from October 14-18.
The theme of this year’s WFF was ‘Good food for all, for today and tomorrow’.
One of the key highlights of WFF was the launch of the Global Family Farming Forum by the FAO and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
Family farming, with over 550 million farms worldwide, is the backbone of food production, accounting for over 90 per cent of all farms, and produces 70 to 80 per cent of the world’s food in value terms, meaning that a good portion of the food the world eats everyday probably comes from a family farm.
Family farmers, especially in low- and middle-income countries, grow diverse, nutritious food, support crop biodiversity and manage natural resources responsibly. But while these family farms hold the knowledge and experience to drive meaningful change, they are also at the frontline of a multitude of crises and bearing the brunt.
The year 2024 marks the halfway point of the United Nations Decade of Family Farming (UNDFF) 2019-2028, which was adopted on December 20, 2017 by the UN General Assembly unanimously and supported by 104 countries.
Meanwhile, IFAD Vice-President Gérardine Mukeshimana said the organisation ambitions to mobilise $10 billion to invest in rural people over the next three years, and improve agricultural productivity, strengthen resilience, increase incomes, both on and off the farm and support rural entrepreneurs to develop businesses and create jobs.
Despite their significant role, the livelihoods of family farmers remain precarious, as they face many difficulties in accessing productive resources, market opportunities, and essential services.