Water management | TableDebates

Bunches of asparagus in blue bands. Photo by Donald Teel on Unsplash

Coca and asparagus: How a US drug policy led to soaring water scarcity in Peru

Intrigued by a news story about smuggled cocaine seized in a shipment of asparagus, researcher Azam Lashkari explored an unlikely connection between a booming agro-industry in Peru and an international effort to control cross-continental drug trade.Azam is a postdoctoral scientist and mathematical agroecologist at the John Innes Centre, Norwich, UK. Her research is concerning the role of climate change on food production. She uses data and mathematical models to explain and predict crop response to increasing temperature and drought. Beside her main research, she is interested in socio-economic aspects of climate change and human behaviour on environment.

Dead trees sitting in a shallow pool of water. Photo by Ian Turnell

Journal articles

Ending groundwater overdraft without affecting food security

Groundwater exploitation across the world is causing land degradation and hunger, but stopping it without complementary policies would also undermine food security, the study finds. It explores five scenarios and finds that increasing efficient use of rain, investment in agricultural R&D would mitigate the effects of ending groundwater exploitation. Eating less animal products in high income countries would enhance this further.

Flooding in field

News and resources

Which UK foods are at risk as extreme weather causes havoc with global supplies?

This article from the Guardian highlights how extreme weather in the UK is impacting food supply, with low supply and high prices expected due to factors such as reduced vegetable yields from flooding, challenges with imports and food sourcing from countries facing their own climate related issues.

Global groundwater

Global groundwater

This book (publication date 23 October 2020), takes an interdisciplinary look at groundwater management and sustainability. It covers some food-relevant topics, including the sustainability of groundwater used in agricultural production and trade and the political economy of groundwater irrigation in India.

Image: davehan2016, Tomato, Pixabay, Pixabay Licence

News and resources

East Anglia greenhouses to be heated by waste heat

This BBC story looks at a new initiative to heat greenhouses in East Anglia using waste heat from nearby water treatment plants. According to the story, the technology could reduce greenhouse gas emissions from heating greenhouses as well as reduce reliance on imported produce.

The food-energy-water nexus

This textbook uses case studies and models to present an interdisciplinary perspective on the interactions between food, energy and water.

Water for food security, nutrition and social justice

This book reframes the debate around water and food security, focusing on the rights of marginalised people instead of only discussing irrigated agriculture.

Lessons on food sustainability from Denmark

This report from the Food Ethics Council sets out how UK food businesses and government could learn from the Danish food system. Although Denmark and the UK have similarities, e.g. in climate, Denmark ranked 7th in the 2018 Food Sustainability Index while the UK ranked 24th.

Abandoning farmland to conserve water in California

Over half a million acres of irrigated farmland may have to be permanently taken out of agricultural use in the San Joaquin valley in California in order to conserve groundwater, according to this report by the non-profit Public Policy Institute of California. The report suggests using the land for generating solar energy, restoring ecosystems or managing flood risk by restoring floodplains.