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 Water for irrigation and food production constitutes one of the greatest pressures on freshwater resources. Agriculture accounts for around 70 percent of global freshwater withdrawals, even up to 90 percent in some fast-growing economies.
Source: WWDR, 2012
Irrigation increases yields of most crops by 100 to 400 percent, and irrigated agriculture currently contributes to 40 percent of the world's food production on 20 percent of the cultivated land.
Source: FAO
The daily drinking water requirement per person is 2-4 litres, but it takes
2 000 to 5 000 litres of water to produce one person's daily food.
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Future global agricultural water consumption (including both rainfed and irrigated agriculture) is expected to increase by 19 percent (to 8,515 km3 per year) by 2050.
Source: WWDR, 2012
 Producing 1 kg of grain requires approximately 1,500 litres of water while 1 kg of beef requires 15,000 litres.
Source: WWDR, 2012
Diets are shifting from predominantly starch-based food to meat and dairy, which requires more water.
Source: WWDR, 2012
Meat consumption in particular is expected to rise from 37 kg per person per year in 1999/2001 to 52 kg in 2050 (from 27 to 44 kg in developing countries), implying that much of the additional crop production will be used as feed for livestock production.
Source: WWDR, 2012
This dietary shift is the greatest to impact on water consumption over the past 30 years, and is likely to continue well into the middle of the twenty-first century.
Source: FAO
 Per capita food waste by consumers in Europe and North-America is estimated at 95-115 kg/year, while this figure in Sub-Saharan Africa and South/Southeast Asia is only 6-11 kg/year.
Source: FAO
A 50% reduction of food losses and waste at the global level would save 1,350 km3 of water (for comparison, the mean annual rainfall over Spain is 350 km3; water passing Bonn in Die Rhine is around 60 km3 per year; the storage capacity of Lake Nasser nearly 85 km3)
Source: Lundqvist, J., 2012.
Global population growth projections of 2–3 billion people over the next 40 years, combined with changing diets, result in a predicted increase in food demand of 70 % by 2050.
Source: WWDR, 2012
The main challenge facing the agricultural sector is not as much growing 70% more food in 40 years, but making 70% more food available on the plate. Source: WWDR, 2012
There are about 7 billion people in the world. With an
estimated 868 million hungry people, 12 percent, or 1 in 8 people are
hungry.
Source: FAO, 2010-2012
Over the period to 2050 the world's water will have to support the agricultural systems that will feed and create livelihoods for an additional 2.7 billion people.
Source: FAO
 The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predicts yields from rain-dependent agriculture could be down by 50 percent by 2020.
Source: IPCC
Due to climate change, Himalayan snow and ice, which provide vast amounts of water for agriculture in Asia, are expected to decline by 20 percent by 2030.
Source: FAO
Poor drainage and irrigation practices have led to waterlogging and salinization of approximately 10 percent of the world's irrigated lands.
Source: World Water Assessment Programme (WWAP)
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