Managing water in rainfed agriculture

Faczng the food and poverty crzses zn developzng countnes wzll requzre a new emphaszs on smallscale water management zn raznJed agrzculture znvolvzng the redzrectzon of water poltey and large new mvestments Ramfed systems dommate world food production, but water mvestments m ramfed agrIculture have been neglected over the past 50 years Upgradmg ramfed agrIculture promises large SOCIal, economiC, and enVIronmental paybacks, particularly m poverty reduction and economic development Ramfed farmmg covers most of the world's cropland (80%) and produces most of the world's cereal grams (more than 60%), generatmg lIvelIhoods m rural areas and producmg food for cltles EStImates suggest that about 25% of the mcreased water reqUIrement needed to attam the 2015 hunger reduction target of the MillennIUm Development Goal can be contrIbuted from IrrIgation The remammg 75% will have to come from water mvestments m ramfed agnculture.........