Land and Freshwater Nexus

The following key literature articulates the case for ‘deforestation-free, conversion-free food supply chains’ as being a central means of contributing to a more sustainable global food system. Please see the Annex for additional resources.

Analysis found that from 2005-2013 Worldwide, food production accounts for 70% of human water abstraction (i.e. 2,800 km3 /yr) often diminishing, polluting and degrading water sources. Above all, this is creating an imbalance between current water supply and demand, and long term alteration of water cycles. This problem is inextricably linked to food production systems being responsible for approximately 80% of deforestation, 70% of terrestrial biodiversity loss, 50% of freshwater biodiversity loss, 25% of all greenhouse gas emissions and varied degradation of groundwater resources that account for 40% of total irrigated production. In Africa, 65% of the land is already considered degraded further compromising efforts to sustainably produce food. As of 2013, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reported that climate change had already caused the disappearance of 600 glaciers leading to significant changes in local and regional water cycles. These foregoing facts illustrate the urgency to sustainably manage land and freshwater ecosystems. Mountains and highlands are of particular importance contributing 60-80% of the freshwater critical to both upstream and downstream habitats, including arid and semiarid areas.