Stockholm World Water Week focus on water, food security

STOCKHOLM, Aug. 27 (Xinhua) -- The 22nd World Water Week kicked off here on Monday with discussions of solutions to reduce risk of water and food security.
With over 200 politicians, CEOs, scientists and leaders of international organizations from around the world gathering in Stockholm, the meeting called for global action to reduce food waste in the supply chain and enhance water efficiency in agriculture and curb consumer waste, according to a statement released before the opening session.
"More than one-fourth of all the water we use worldwide is taken to grow over one billion tons of food that nobody eats. That water, together with the billions of dollars spent to grow, ship, package and purchase the food, is sent down the drain," said Torgny Holmgren, Executive Director of the organizer Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI).
Reducing the waste of food is the smartest and most direct route to relieve pressure on water and land resources, he added.
"Agriculture holds the key to sustainable water use," said Jose Graziano da Silva, Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). He also pointed out that investment in smallholder farmers was critical to achieve food and water security for all people.
"Feeding over nine billion people by 2050 is possible, but we have to reflect on the cost to the environment in terms of water withdrawals and land resources," said Dr. Colin Chartres, Director-General of the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and the 2012 Stockholm Water Prize Laureate at the opening session.
The World Water Week in Stockholm is the annual meeting place for the planet's most urgent water-related issues, which brings together thousands of experts, practitioners, decision makers and business innovators from around the globe.