FAO launch discussion paper on accounting livestock water productivity

More than one fourth of the global population lives in countries experiencing high water stress, and the prospect of facing severe water scarcity at least one month a year is still a major challenge for many people worldwide.

Persistent and severe droughts, exacerbated by climate change, cause increasingly serious water shortages in rainfed agriculture, posing a higher risk to the livelihoods of rural people, and ultimately resulting in reduced crop yields and livestock production.

Since no “one-size-fits-all” approach exists to address water shortages and scarcity, solutions can only be context-specific by taking into account the different characteristics and challenges faced by countries at local level and in given periods of the year.

Improving water productivity in feed and animal production can ease pressure on water resources and therefore be an opportunity for increased food security and nutrition.

• Learn more in this new discussion paper by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), titled "Accounting livestock water productivity: How and why?".