Reforms Could Lead to Huge Water Savings for California, Pacific Institute Says

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Replacing inefficient appliances in homes and upgrading wasteful agricultural equipment could save one million acre feet of water in California, according to a Pacific Institute report released Monday. These reforms could also save the parched state six to eight million acre feet by 2020.

Water Projects Emphasized in $7.5 Billion-U.S. Aid Package to Pakistan

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Improved irrigation systems and water infrastructure projects are primary goals.

Arab World Among the Most Vulnerable to Climate Change

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Though water is already scarce and food production will decline in the region, most Arab countries are doing little to prepare, reports say. Food production in the Arab world will be hurt by sea level rises and water scarcity exacerbated by climate change, concluded two reports released last week, according to Reuters.

Displaced Zimbabwean Farmers Set Down Roots in Nigeria

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Niger RiverImporting technical knowledge from Zimbabwean migrants is part of the Nigerian government's plan to increase food self-sufficiency

Food Security Summit Calls for National Governments to Act Now

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The World Summit on Food Security was a forum for raising awareness and encouraging international action, said Jacques Diouf, Director-General of the United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organization, at the end of the event.

Texas Legislators Raise Awareness About State’s Water Woes

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More than 600 Texas lawmakers and water policy experts came together in Fort Worth this week for The Water Event conference to raise awareness about the state's water crisis. The two-day forum called attention to legislation that aims to confront the state's depleting water resources while its population swells.

Water Scarcity, Food Security Concerns Prompt Global Land Grab

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Area nearly the size of France purchased, leased for food production around the world. Africa, South America, parts of Europe targeted by cash-rich, food-poor nations

Regulations for Farmland Acquisitions Are Years Away, UN officials say

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A strong set of guidelines for land acquisitions abroad could take years, but is necessary for protecting the interests of small farmers, political leaders said.

“Food Security and Climate Change Are Deeply Interconnected,” UN Secretary-General Says

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Farmers are hurt by erratic water supplies and underinvestment, according to summit speakers. Leaders weigh in on global agricultural investment during opening remarks of the FAO summit in Rome.

Peter Gleick: California Water Bills. Is the New Water Legislation Better than Nothing?

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A lot of people have asked me my opinion about the new water legislation just passed in Sacramento. Here is a longer version of my piece in the New York Times Bay Area blog page

Qatar Food Company Signs $1 billion Deal to Use Sudan Farmland

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Sudan-Farmland-290Qatar furthers the trend of Gulf Arab Countries off-shoring their agricultural production to secure food supplies for its citizens and other populations in the Middle East and Northern Africa. Qatar’s Hassad Foods signed a deal last week, worth potentially $1 billion, to develop 20,000 acres of land in northern Sudan, Reuters reports. Cultivation could expand to 250,000 acres.

U.S. Water Use Declines, But Points to Troubling Trends, Says USGS Report

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U.S. Geological Survey's newest five-year report (2000-2005) reveals positive trends and potential problems for U.S. water use.