Problematizing Production Potential: Water Scarcity, Access, and Borders in the 21st Century Agricultural Economy

This presentation investigates the problematics of agricultural productivity and the agricultural economy in the context of increasing water scarcity and disparate access. Scarcity is conceptualized as a result of a combination of social, political, and biophysical forces. Given that the last green revolution was powered in large part by improved access to irrigation, and that water availability has become more variable over the last 50 years, it is essential to consider the prospects for agricultural development where water is limited. While technology can provide tools, these considerations are socio-political in nature, and thus questions of power and access to the means of production and markets for production must be forthrightly addressed. Case studies are used to exemplify the key points.Title VI National Resource Center Grant (P015A060066)unpublishednot peer reviewe