Water, nutrition and policy nexus (developing optimal farming systems)

Agriculture can be reshaped for producing more nutritious (diversified) food and to use scarce water resources more efficiently. Major food crops such as rice, wheat and maize provide sufficient calories but are inadequate in necessary nutrients required for healthy life. Agriculture uses more than 80 to 90 per cent of available water in irrigation-intense countries but also with an increased use of groundwater which poses serious threat to food security. For example, country like Pakistan is most affected due to increasing groundwater depletion and exporting the major food crops grown with non-sustainable groundwater use. Agricultural sector in Pakistan contributes 20% of GDP but the share of major food crops is only 5% of the GDP. Agricultural sector uses 90% of the available water in the country but the major food crops use up to 80% of the available water. Therefore, growing more of minor crops such as pulses, legumes and vegetables can complement the nutritious values required and reduce the overall water use in the sector. Increasing production of nutritious (diversified) food can also provide opportunity for the smallholder farmers. However, production of diversified and minor food crops are not sufficiently promoted in the country. Pakistan produces and exports wheat and rice but imports pulses and lentils. Hence this type of policy can be improved in relation to food self-sufficiency, scarce water resources and foreign exchange. There is a need to develop optimal farming systems to enhance nutritional values, water use efficiency and farming livelihood (Water, Nutrition and Policy Nexus).