Ensuring food security via improvement in crop water productivity

This first background paper from the CGIAR Water for Food Program seeks to identify research needs to increase crop water productivity, such that food security can be ensured and farmers’ livelihoods enhanced without increasing water diverted for agriculture.

The paper proposes a number of priority topics for research on crop water management in the challenge Program on Water and Food, which will be amended during the development of the Program. These studies are grouped into four categories of research issues:

• effective development of genotypes to accelerate improvement of crop water productivity
• new opportunities and technologies for integrated crop and natural resources management at field and farm level
• opportunities for enhancing water productivity at regional and agro-ecological systems
• institutional arrangements at the farming-systems level, which promote farmers’ adoption of technologies that enhance water productivity

The paper concludes that whilst there are challenges to be met at each of the levels considered there are hopeful signs that the goals of the program are achievable.