21 January 2017: Agriculture Ministers attending the 2017 Global Forum for Food and Agriculture (GFFA) adopted a call for action to meet key challenges on sustainable water management in agriculture. In their communiqué, ministers call for enhancing access to water, improving water quality, reducing water scarcity risks and managing surplus water.

Held under the theme ‘Agriculture and Water – Key to Feeding the World,’ the ninth Berlin Agriculture Ministers Conference convened in Germany as part of GFFA 2017, aiming to promote the sustainable stewardship of water. Agricultural Ministers from 83 countries and representatives of the European Commission (EC) and international organizations adopted a communiqué expressing their common position on the challenges surrounding the sustainable management and use of water for agriculture. The document states that ministers, inter alia, recognize that sustainable water management for agriculture represents a global challenge and that adequate access to water is a prerequisite for achieving global food security and nutrition.

In their communiqué, ministers recognize that sustainable water management for agriculture represents a global challenge and that adequate access to water is a prerequisite for achieving global food security and nutrition.

Minsters further express their intention to address four water-related challenges. To enhance access to water, they intend to, among other actions: improve water allocation systems; reduce incentives for water mismanagement; promote responsible investment in water infrastructure; and strengthen cooperation and develop policies to encourage the use of brackish water and technologies for wastewater treatment, recycling and water and nutrient re-use.

To improve water quality, ministers intend to: use, conserve, protect and rehabilitate soils; reduce pollutant loads from agriculture in water and water-related ecosystems; and make available knowledge, technologies and experience regarding practices to improve water quality.

To reduce water scarcity risks, ministers intend to: increase productivity and water-use efficiency in agriculture; share experience on water-efficient farming methods; disseminate information and communication technologies (ICT); promote research and development, including towards drought and stress-tolerant crops and livestock; and encourage agronomically suitable production systems.

To manage surplus water, ministers intend to: promote investments in water infrastructure; promote sustainable land management; and use retention and storage methods to make excess rain and flood water available for agriculture.

Christian Schmidt, Germany’s Federal Minster of Food and Agriculture, presented the communiqué to José Graziano da Silva, Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO). Speaking at the Conference, da Silva called on participants to act to improve water and natural resources management for improved livelihoods now and in the future.

On the sidelines of the Minister’s Conference, an expert meeting discussed how wastewater can be used safely for agricultural production to reduce water stress. The experts exchanged experiences regarding technologies and approaches to wastewater treatment and recycling.

Both events were part of the ninth GFFA, organized by the German Federal Ministry for Food and Agriculture (BMEL) to bring together high-level decision makers, technical experts, researchers and farmers to discuss pressing global agricultural issues. GFFA 2017 was held 19-21 January 2017 in Berlin, Germany. [UN Press Release on the Expert Meeting] [FAO Press Release on the Expert Meeting] [UN Press Release on the Ministerial Conference] [FAO Press Release on the Ministerial Conference] [GFFA Communiqué of the Ninth Berlin Agricultural Ministers’ Conference 2017]