This conference's sponsors include the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN, the International Food Policy Research Institute, the International Water Management Institute, the International Fund for Agricultural Development, the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas, and the Agriculture Research Center, Egypt. Sound policies for food security and agricultural water management are critical for national economies – and particularly for dryland areas, where water resources are already scarce, and declining rapidly. The development of such policies requires an assessment of the current state of knowledge; the lessons learned from research and development programs in different countries; and a better understanding of the inter-relationships between water policies, food security, employment and the environment. This meeting will be organized around the following themes: incentives for sustainable and efficient water allocation and management; interactions between water management, food production and employment opportunities; and policies for enhancing food security. Various countries will present lessons learned on these three themes. The conference will examine the effectiveness of current and alternative water and food policy options, and identify strategies to enhance land and water productivity, food security, employment generation on and livelihoods. Paper abstracts should be submitted by 20 April 2013.  

dates: 24-26 June 2013   location: Cairo, Egypt   e-mail: CWFDA@cgiar.org   www: http://www.icarda.org/water-and-food-security-conference