Improving water management through agroecology

On the occasion of World Food Day, the FAO Liaison Office in Geneva (LOG) and the FAO Plant Production and Protection Division (NSP) organized a webinar on “Improving water management through agroecology” under this year’s World Food Day theme, “Water is life, water is food”. The hybrid webinar delved into the critical role of agroecology in addressing the pressing issues related to water management and water pollution in agriculture. Participants, who gathered in the Palais des Nations and online, included FAO Members, the private sector, international organizations, research institutes and non-governmental organizations.

In his opening remarks, Oliver Oliveros, Coordinator of the Agroecology Coalition, shared that agriculture accounts for 70 percent of total water use, and stressed that improving soil and water management is critical for agrifood systems transformation, agroecology providing different avenues toward multiple benefits in this regard.

Strengthening water conservation management through agroecology

Li Lifeng, Director of the FAO Land and Water Division (NSL), presented statistics and case studies illustrating water use in different parts of the world to demonstrate the urgency of managing water efficiently. He highlighted FAO’s eight commitments to the Global Water Action Agenda, focusing on boosting water conservation management.

Fergus Sinclare, Chief Scientist of the Center of International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR – ICRAF), discussed incorporating inclusive water management and aquatic food in agroecological transitions. He underscored the lack of research studies focusing on water and fish and aquatic foods, as well as the lack of data, which is overlooking and excluding the possibility of strategizing methods centered around agroecology, water, aquatic foods, and other water conservation methods. Sinclare then called for broadening the scope for additional water management solutions and adaptations that can benefit all.

Edmundo Barrios, Agricultural Officer in the FAO Plant Production and Protection Division (NSP), spoke on how to enable transformative change and agroecological transitions in situations of water scarcity and pollution. He presented the ten elements of agroecology as guiding points for points for guide FAO’s vision of agriculture and design for numerous paths for agriculture and food systems transformations. Barrios also emphasized that the ten elements are interlinked and interdependent, reflecting agroecology’s holistic and integrating nature that carries an equitable, inclusive, and diverse narrative in transformative change.

Martial Bernoux, Senior Natural Resource Officer in FAO Office of Climate Change, Biodiversity and Environment (OCB), presented a case study on the AVACLIM project implementation of agroecological systems as a possible solution for drylands. He highlighted that the project focuses on identifying, analyzing, and showcasing agroecology practices, and is founded on three pillars: 1) strengthening partnerships, 2) generating knowledge, 3) advocacy, and 4) communicating.


Call to action towards transformative change
Lamine Diatta, Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Uses (AFOLU) Programme Manager in the Senegal Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, presented the Strengthening agricultural adaptation project in Senegal. He shared his experience on agroecological water management practices in Senegal, characterized by a three to four month rainy season that increases water collection challenges and barriers for food production and livestock. He made a call to action for aid and support towards water mobilization for consumption and production. In addition, he presented KnoWat, a FAO project that focuses on more equitable and sustainable access to natural resources to achieve food security.

Janet Maro, founder of Sustainable Agriculture Tanzania (SAT), discussed transforming farming systems in Tanzania through agroecology and presented the actions of her organization towards improving farmers' livelihoods, conserving the environment, and reducing pressure on natural resources. Using her experience as a farmer to illustrate her point, she explained how water is not just crucial for food production but also for the wellbeing, health and livelihoods of many, particularly women. She also spoke about local schemes and systems providing fundamental principles that can be practiced worldwide, such as a biological sewage system, exemplifying water reuse and erosion reduction.

In closing, Madeleine Kaufmann, Senior Policy Advisor of the Swiss Federal Office for Agriculture (FOAG), reemphasized all the previous speakers’ points and praised their contributions. She stressed the urgent need for actions to come on all fronts in the conservation and management of water. She went on to say that with water challenges increasing worldwide, including in Switzerland, working towards a world where water stress no longer exist is like a call of desperation. She finally advised that it is particularly important to maintain and sustain dialogues that can connect key actors to agroecology and guide a sustainable positive change for all.