Water, Food and Agricultural Sustainability in Southern Africa

Abstract

By 2050, global population will increase from 7 to more than 9 billion people, and this will increase demands on food and water systems already under pressure from climate change and over-use. Meanwhile, Africa is the continent where the largest proportion of people is currently living in poverty: an estimated one in three Africans go hungry. At the same time, the agricultural potential of Africa is enormous. Water, Food and Sustainable Agriculture in Southern Africa seeks answers to the question: ‘If centralised irrigated agriculture has failed in Africa, then what are the solutions that will increase food security to reduce poverty while sustainably managing water and conserving other environmental values?’ Food security means much more than a country producing suffiecient calories for the populace. Food security is about ensuring the most vulnerable have the means to produce, and the food is of sufficient nutritional value. Water governance is also a central concern in sustainable agriculture. With better governance, there is a high potential for poverty reduction through water interventions. Water, Food and Sustainable Agriculture in Southern Africa argues for a more decentralised approach that enables poor people to enhance their livelihoods to harvest water for agriculture using appropriate technologies. Show more