in rainfed rainwater management Upscaling innovative STATETHE AGRICULTURE AND FOOD OF of ecosystem services, including regulation of runoff, water of runoff, regulation including services, ecosystem of to loss Thisalso contributes nutrition. and security food and incomes farmers’ affecting negatively capacity, limit production water management, and soil poor with combined patterns, weather, –changing rainfall and countries temperatures in lower-income – concentrated systems rainfed low-input In rainfall.scarce of use efficient to most ensure the practices agronomic and water management ineasily improved invest more can America, in Northern as Europe and such systems, in high-input Farmers different. is it vastly to address capacity the but production, rainfed high-input and low- both affects water shortages addressing of challenge control). The disease and pest for chemicals or nutrients of application little, with mainly and manual varieties or labour,traditional without, (i.e. uses production is low-input still under cropland rainfed Yet,challenges. in illustrated Figure as 1, 45 global of percent environmental addressed and incomes farmers’ and capacity production expanded governance. in turn, This, improved by supported information, better and supplemental techniques, -conservation and water-harvesting improved of inter through, alia decades past over the has evolved farming rainfed world, the around manyIn locations productively. water more to use ones, rainfed especially systems, all on agricultural pressure growing will there be continues, growth economic and population and increase water shortages As frequency. high to very 128 high which of cropland, are experiencing million hectares 2.2). 1.2 Globally, rainfed of are about there billion hectares 2 Targets Goal (Sustainable 2.1 Development and of all forms to eradicating all and round, year all people for food sufficient and to safe, nutritious access ensuring to is central It thus production. world’shalf the of food 80 about dominates covering agriculture, production Rainfed water shortages Zero Hungerbutischallengedby Rainfed agriculture iskey toachieving percent of total cropland and accounting for more than more for accounting and cropland total of percent , the increased use use increased , the

Sub-Saharan Africa water challenges in agriculture Overcoming 2020. Agriculture and Food of State FAO. The 2020. Source: level ofwater shortagesandscarcity, byregion FIGURE 1. Shareofcroplandbyproductionsystemand South-eastern Asia and theCaribbean    Northern America and Western Asia KEY MESSAGES Northern Africa to veryhighwater stress) Irrigated (fromhigh to veryhighdroughtfrequency) Low-input rainfed (fromhigh to veryhighdroughtfrequency) High-input rainfed (from high Southern Asia

Central Asia Eastern and extension services. farmers aswellbytheexpandinganddigitizingof supported bypublicinvestmentandassistanceto combined withbestagronomicpractices and Improved water managementpractices mustbe technologies andsoilwater managementpractices. including water harvesting, water conservation income countries, needsimprovedwater management, rainfed productivity. require improvingrainwater managementtoincrease world’s foodproduction: achievingzerohungerwill Rainfed agricultureaccountsformorethanhalfofthe Low-input rainfed agriculture, concentrated inlower- Oceania Europe World 0% 20% . Rome. . 40% 60% to mediumwater stress) Irrigated (fromnowater stress to mediumdroughtfrequency) Low-input rainfed (fromlow to mediumdroughtfrequency) High-input rainfed (from low 80% 100%

©FAO/Giulio Napolitano

FAO AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS NOVEMBER 2020 y ISSN 2520-6540 (online) / ISSN 2520-6532 (print) POLICY BRIEF 33 CONTACTS be particularly important for small-scale farmers operating under under operating farmers small-scale for important particularly be Thiswill to adoption. constraints to overcome to farmers support for initiatives, and partnerships intervention, public-sector on rely Some decisions. farmers’ on exclusively depend or alone farmers by addressed be can related to all water shortages problems Not the potential ofrainfed agriculture? What canpolicymakers dotorealize the Asia. South-eastern and Africa Eastern of in large parts hotspots with strategies, conservation and water harvesting for is suitable cropland global of 20 percent Almost 20 percent. almost by production crop increase can harvesting and water conservation combined, when that, Globally, estimated has it been practices. management crop better well as of as seeds, improved and fertilizer of use increased to the due partly also improved, yields Rainfed runoff. surface and erosion reduced and services, ecosystem of in terms benefits brought which (e.g. minimum and tillage), practices management reforestation land water and integrated national introduced initiatives is critical, rainfall to retain need the and Ethiopia,In land degradation where by intensities cropping and percent 30–50 by yields crop increased management, nutrient soil with –coupled systems water harvesting traditional of modernization the –including practices harvesting water- and water-conservation of India, acombination In effective. highly be can harvesting and Combining water conservation root-zone reduce and/or drainage losses. and evaporation plant uptake that capacity increase techniques water conserving water, soil it zone; root and intothe (ii) and through infiltrating more harvesting or –collecting rainfall: of use (i) water harvesting better through in agriculture rainfed increasing yields for strategies broad are two There practices. agronomic best with combined be must these effectiveness, maximum For practices. management water agricultural improved and new of implementation the requires potential agriculture rainfed of vast the Unlocking rainfed crop productivity Making betteruseofrainfall forimproved creatively.and actively more is managed depends agriculture rainfed which on rainwater the if only is but environment still possible, a sustainable and nutrition and security food ensuring Development, Sustainable remain gaps into large. yield 2030 the for years where Five Agenda higher-income is also in Europe, of some high, regions but drought severe of frequency the where Asia, of parts and Africa in Northern particularly dependency, import exacerbate further water shortages organic soil of retention matter. and Growing transport sediment 80–150 percent, while helping mitigate the impacts of drought. drought. of 80–150 impacts mitigate helping while the percent, example in the form of investments, as well as information and and well as information as investments, of form in the example Rome, Italy Rome, Nations United the of Organization Agriculture and Food [email protected] | www.fao.org/publications/sofa Development Social and -Economic Economics Agrifood (SOFA) Agriculture and Food of State The under aCC BY-NC-SA 3.0IGO licence Some rightsreserved. This work isavailable will will

policy recommendations highlight important areas of focus. areas of highlight important recommendations policy following soil. water in The to the retain skills the technology and with along is lacking, fertilizer and seed improved and mechanization, equipment, to irrigation access whom for production, rainfed low-input is available at www.fao.org/economic/esa/policy-briefs at is available series Brief Policy Economics Development FAOThe Agricultural y y y y y

nutrient management of rainfed areas. areas. rainfed of management nutrient These water-smart initiatives. implementing for approaches collection data and tools new provided partnerships research America, Central In services. extension providing and farmers of capacity building the for innovation, and and knowledge new of co-production for capacities inclusion research of active the also calls for practices and technologies new level. Adopting river-basin atthe possibly and community local their within technologies in developing farmers involving on depends approach. consultative and participatory inclusive, an Adopt farmers. small-scale by practices management improved is of key adoption to accelerate the services extension digitizing and up Scaling nets. insurance safety and crop credit, through to eliminate investment can barriers Governments varieties. crop high-yielding or improved as such practices, production other with combined way and in a coordinated soils are considered rainfall both and for practices management and investments the The way. acoordinated in soils and rainfall Consider rainwateralso consider management. must basin scale river and planning watershed atthe resources agriculture. Water irrigated and rainfed inmanagement both in water investment to promote are needed Efforts areas. innovations in and rainfed limiting investments irrigation, on have remained focused in management agriculture resources in rainfed systems. management water sustainable for conditions create to Strengthen governance and institutional arrangements context. governance and institutional broader in the use, their them placing and availableof water resources an assessment provides which auditing, and water accounting detailed by preceded be therefore must decisions Investment them. on depend who those of nutrition and security food the consequently, and, water-related ecosystems affect negatively can response. and mitigation (iii)and preparedness, drought assessment; impact and (ii) vulnerability systems; warning early and have pillars: should forecasting three (i) monitoring, policy Adrought society. and governments for concern permanent a but to disaster aresponse be simply not should policies Drought programmes. preparedness drought Develop Perform waterPerform accounting and auditing. potential gains from rainfed agriculture are greatest when when are greatest potential agriculture rainfed gains from helped identify soil health constraints and thereby improve improve thereby and constraints health soil identify helped Realizing maximum benefits from interventions interventions from Realizing benefits maximum available at www.fao.org/publications/sofa agriculture in challenges water Overcoming 2020. Agriculture and State The ofFood FAO report the from adapted been have brief this in findings The So far, policy and governance for water for far, governance So and policy Water harvesting Water harvesting

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