On World Water Day, a leading international agritech entrepreneur has issued a warning about the fragility of our food chains as more nations grapple with dwindling water resources.

Food production must increase 56% by 2050 to match global population growth but, at current rates, water is predicted to run out in a number of arid countries.

On this World Water Day (Friday, March 22), the theme is “water for peace” and the UN is calling for nations to cooperate for prosperity over water supplies.

But, as agriculture is the biggest consumer of water on earth, Peter Blezard of UK-based Engage Crop Solutions says leaders, manufacturers and growers must all fight to find new solutions that will enable us to feed a growing population against a backdrop of shrinking freshwater reserves.

Peter has worked for more than 25 years in agriculture across the globe but has been working to find a solution to the agricultural water crisis for the past decade.

He says: “Water isn’t just an issue in arid countries, it is becoming a critical issue across the globe. We’ve already seen drought emergencies declared in Europe this year and the problem is only going to get worse.

“Limited water reserves will mean we won’t be able to produce what we need to feed the world’s rapidly growing population. And, as the UN says, this will lead to further conflict and unrest.

“Agriculture has a critical role to play in tackling the water crisis, but we can’t just keep restricting how much water the industry uses. This is a false economy.

“We must work to find smarter solutions that enable us to reduce the amount of water needed to grow crops. This will reduce agricultural demand and help us to unlock more land to meet the food production demands of the future.

“There are a range of new technologies coming through that can be part of the solution, but we need everyone in the food supply chain, from national leaders and major manufacturers, through to the growers on the ground, to work together to tackle this crisis.”

Engage Crop Solutions has a leading water saving technology called Aqualatus that allows growers to cut water use by half while still maintaining crop quality, and this is already being used by a number of growers across the Middle East, Southern Europe and around the world.

It has undergone extensive trials around the world and is proven to reduce water usage by at least 50% while maintaining yields to supply the food chain.

Peter adds: “Aqualatus can dramatically reduce the amount of water used in agriculture, but we must do more. Collaboration and adoption of new technologies across the supply chain will be key as we fight to save our precious water reserves.”

For more information about Aqualatus or to learn how it can benefit your growing operations, contact Peter Blezard at peter.blezard@engagecropsolutions.com or visit www.engagecropsolutions.com