Celebrating UN World Water Day - 22 March 2013 : caring about our food, our water, our soil

March 22, 2013 is the 20th anniversary of World Water Day. In honor of this important anniversary, this week we are highlighting 7 Strategies for Reducing Water Waste. Please visit the Food Tank website each day over the next week for posts focused on innovations around water.  Although the earth has 1.4 billion cubic kilometers of water, only 0.001 percent of that is accessible for human consumption and use. And 70 percent of water is used for agricultural purposes. In 2012, the United States experienced the most severe drought in at least 25 years which, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), affected 80 percent of agricultural land in the country. Couple that with recent droughts in other parts of the world, most notably in the African Sahel, and the urgency for action to safeguard water resources is clear. As water supplies face mounting pressures from growing populations, climate change, and an already troubled food system, analyses of “water wealth” and “water security” are laying the groundwork for future cooperation and stability. In order to meet all municipal, agricultural, and ecological needs for water, it is crucial to develop innovative water saving systems for the future of food production. Here are seven strategies for reducing water waste in the food system: 1. Eating Less Meat According to Sandra Postel of the Global Water Policy Project, it takes roughly 3,000 liters of water to meet one person’s daily dietary needs, or approximately 1 liter per calorie. The amount of water needed to produce one kilogram of red meat can range from 13,000 to 43,000 liters of water; poultry requires about 3,500 liters of water; and pork needs about 6,000 liters. Eating more meatless meals, even one or two days a week, can help conserve water resources.  2. Using intercropping, agroforestry, and cover crops Soil health is critical to water conservation. Diversifying farms by including cover crops, planting trees on farms, and intercropping can help keep nutrients and water in the soil, protecting plants from drought and making sure that every drop of water delivered by rainfall or irrigation can be utilized. 3. Implementing micro-irrigation Approximately 60 percent of water used for irrigation is wasted. Drip irrigation methods can be more expensive to install, but can also be 33 percent to 40 percent more efficient, carrying water or fertilizers directly to plants’ roots.  4. Improving Rainwater Harvesting Since the 1980s, according to the International Food Policy Research Institute, farmers in Burkina Faso have been modifying traditional planting pits known as zai, making them deeper and wider and adding organic materials. As a result, the pits retain rainwater longer, helping farmers to increase yields even in years of low rainfall. 5. Using mobile technology to save water Santosh Ostwal is an innovator and entrepreneur in India who has developed a system that allows farmers to use mobile phones to turn their irrigation systems on and off remotely. This helps reduce the amount of water and electricity wasted on watering fields that are already saturated. 6. Planting perennial crops Perennial crops protect the soil for a greater length of time than annual crops, which reduces water loss from runoff. According to a report from the Land Institute, "annual grain crops can lose five times as much water and 35 times as much nitrate as perennial crops." 7. Practicing Soil Conservation Soil conservation techniques, including no-till farming, can help farmers to better utilize the water they have available. According to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), studies have shown that no-till techniques improve water-retention capacity and improve water use efficiency in crops. Be sure to visit the official World Water Day website for more details about the day’s events, including activities in your community and tips for reducing your water footprint. You can also learn more about water issues from the Barilla Center for Food & Nutrition, the Global Water Policy Project, Food and Water Watch, and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). What do YOU think? What are the best ideas, studies, and on-the-ground innovations helping to conserve water?  Check out some of our newsletter articles below, reply to this email or call me, and please join the conversation on our website, on Facebook, on Twitter, on Pinterest, on Google+, and on YouTube All the Best, Danielle Nierenberg Co-Founder, Food Tank: The Food Think Tank www.FoodTank.org Please connect with us on Facebook,  Twitter, and Pinterest

GM Free Week of Action: World Food Day: Unite Against Hunger

Picture from here

This is the GM Free Week of Action and if you pop over here, you will find that Jessica Harrison has provided all sorts of information to keep you on the go and committed.

FOOD COMPANY LOBBY DAY

Wednesday 13 October 2010

 

Take 3 minutes out of your busy day

to email or phone the big food companies - 

telling them

"We want our food to stay GM free".

• To ask Pfizer/Wyeth for an immediate recall of GM contaminated infant formula S-26 Soy, ring their toll free number 1800552229 
• To lobby Health Minister Nicola Roxon asking her to fix our "rigorous" labelling laws so they really protect us.
• http://www.greenpeace.org/australia/issues/GE/taking-action 
• Contact Woolworths on 1300 767 969   http://www.woolworths.com.au/wps/wcm/connect/website/woolworths/contact+us/      contact-us
• Contact Coles: 1800 061562 or http://www.coles.com.au/Coles/Coles-Feedback.aspx
• Other companies  http://www.truefood.org.au/takeaction/?action=FOODCO
• Lobby the WA Agriculture minister on GM wheat at http://www.geneethics.org/actnow

Free copies of the 2010 True Food Guide 

which lists the companies committed to keep 

their products GM free

 are available from  

support@au.greenpeace.org or 1800815151 

SPEAK OUT AGAINST MONSANTO
Friday 15 October 2010
Meet at Flinders Street Station, Melbourne
Under the Clocks

Monsanto has begun a campaign to "change the opposition many Australia consumers have to genetically modified food". If you feel outraged, come along to speak on the open microphone and hear speeches from La Via Campesina representatives, angry mums and farmers.

One of the things the Week of Action does is act as bridesmaid and usher in the really big United Nations event, World Food Day organised by the Food & Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

The theme in 2010 is United Against Hunger

So now it's over to you.