Abullgrazesondrywheathusks(Phi)inLogan,Kansas,oneoftheregionshitbytherecorddroughtthathasaffectedmorethanhalfoftheU.S.andisexpectedtodriveupfoodprices.
Leadinuwaterscientistshaveissuedoneofthesternestwarningsyetaboutglobalfoodsupplies,sayingthattheworld'spopulationmayhavetoswitchalmostcompletelytoavegetariandietoverthenext40yearstoavoidcatastrophicshortages.
Adoptingavegetariandietisoneoptiontoincreasetheamountofwateravailabletogrowmorefoodinanincreasinglyclimate-unstableworld,thescientistssaid.Animalprotein-richfoodconsumes5to10timesmorewaterthanavegetariandiet.Onethirdoftheworld'sarable(适于耕种的)landisusedtogrowcropstofeedanimals.Otheroptionstofeedpeopleincludeeliminatingwasteandincreasingtradebetweencountriesinfoodsurplusandthoseindeficit.
"900millionpeoplealreadygohungryand2billionpeoplearemalnourishedinspiteofthefactthatpercapitafoodproductioncontinuestoincrease,"theysaid."With70%ofallavailablewaterbeinginagriculture,growingmorefoodtofeedanadditional2billionpeopleby2050willplacegreaterpressureonavailablewaterandland."
ThereportisbeingreleasedatthestartoftheannualworldwaterconferenceinStockholm,Sweden,where2,500politicians,UNbodies,non-governmentalgroupsandresearchersfrom120countriesmeettoaddressglobalwatersupplyproblems.
Competitionforwaterbetweenfoodproductionandotheruseswillintensifypressureonessentialresources,thescientistssaid."TheUNpredictsthatwemustincreasefoodproductionby70%bymid-century.Thiswillplaceadditionalpressureonour'alreadystressedwaterresources,atatimewhenwealsoneedtoallocatemorewatertosatisfyglobalenergydemand--whichisexpectedtorise60%overthecoming30years--andtogenerateelectricityforthe1.3billionpeoplecurrentlywithoutit,"saidthereport.
Overeating,undernourishmentandwasteareallontheriseandincreasedfoodproductionmayfacefutureconstraintsfromwaterscarcity.
"Wewillneedanewrecipetofeedtheworldinthefuture,"saidthereport'seditor,AndersJagerskog.
AseparatereportfromtheInternationalWaterManagementInstitute(IWMI)saidthebestwayforcountriestoprotectmillionsoffarmersfromfoodinsecurityinsub-SaharanAfricaandsouthAsiawastohelptheminvestinsmallpumpsandsimpletechnology,ratherthantodevelopexpensive,large-scaleirrigationprojects.
"Farmemacrossthedevelopingworldareincreasinglyrelyingonandbenefitingfromsmall-scale,locally-relevantwatersolutions.Thesetechniquescouldincreaseyieldsupto300%andaddtensofbillionsofU.S.dollarstohouseholdrevenuesacrosssub-SaharanAfricaandsouthAsia."saidDr.ColinChartres,thedirectorgeneral.
