Economic Opportunity Mailing List Archive

["Dixon, John (AGSF)" <<address removed>>]

Andy Bullock's remarks about water and food security in Africa prompt the
following observations about water and food in Africa 

The debate on water for food and agriculture is far too often confined to
the availability and efficiency of irrigation. However, there is increasing
evidence of very substantial food production dividends through better
management of water in non-irrigated areas, especially in Africa. There is
considerable evidence that runoff farming and other forms of rainwater
harvesting not only increase yields in many instances, but also minimise
yield reductions in dry years and enable, in some areas, permit
diversification to higher value crops. There is a long tradition of water
harvesting in the Middle East and South Asia, and recent field experience in
Africa suggests a substantial potential to increase food production and farm
incomes through water harvesting in many farming systems of the continent.

John Dixon
Senior Officer/Farming Systems, FAO
(personal views)
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