Co-optimizing Solutions: Water and Energy for Food, Feed and Fiber
Overview
The World Business Council for Sustainable Development has released the report "Co-optimizing Solutions: Water and Energy for Food, Feed and Fiber" in 2014. The report reveals how the world’s growing demand for food and other agricultural products can be met while minimizing environmental impact, with multiple benefits on yields, resource use (energy, water, land...) and climate change mitigation/adaptation. Smart and scalable solutions to the interconnected water, energy and food, feed and fiber challenges are presented. It is based on a combination of research with a quantitative analysis of global linkages and case studies of techniques that innovative companies are using.
Increasing Demand for Agricultural Products
Food demand is expected to rise by 60% by 2050 due to population growth and increased consumption. Also demand for fiber and biofuels is expected to rise substantially. These developments will put great strains on land, water, energy and other resources in the coming years, and also heavily impact greenhouse gas emissions and climate change.
Energy consumption in agriculture is anticipated to increase by 84% in 2050 in a business-as-usual scenario. Already today agriculture is the world’s largest water user, consuming 70% of total water each year. Further, climate change will impact food production in various ways. All this might lead to increased greenhouse gas emissions, decreased yields, increased water demand, as well as increases in pests and weeds.
Smart Co-optimized Solutions
Smart solutions are needed - these solutions already exist or are currently developed to support agriculture becoming less wasteful, innovative and energy smart. WBCSD's report presents such solutions, which can be "co-optimized" to create synergies and reinforce each other tro create multiple benefits such as saving energy and water while increasing agricultural productivity and value.
Further Information
