Agricultural Development's Role in Reducing Freshwater Resources.

If we imagine that that the world population is said to rise from an existing 6,6 billion to an estimated 9 billion by the year 2050 it is hard to believe that the global agriculture sector will manage to meet food demands of this population with less water for the production of food.  (Kirby, A. ) Irrigation techniques will need to be engineered to function more efficiently, for example precision sprinklers, which drip water directly onto plants lessening the effects of evaporation.   Pesticides and other harmful chemicals that percolate through the soil and into ground water or that run off as surface water into the sea needs to be halted.  Consumers need to demand crops that have not been poisoned through the use of pesticides by purchasing organic produce.

Consideration must also given to harvesting less water-intensive food types such as potatoes that only require 100 litres of water per kilogram, when compared to   beef that requires at least 13 000 litres of water per kilogram of meat.  It is not enough to simply change what is being farmed or sold in supermarkets, because as long as the demand exists, it is inevitable that someone will come up with the product.  It is therefore more important that body corporates communicate with consumers and create awareness around which foodtypes are most eco friendly giving them reason to change their eating habits and in doing so, lesson the demand for food groups that are water-intensive.