Saving water and energy in agriculture and food production

Context

The production of food accounts for a large share of global energy consumption, worldwide greenhouse gas emissions and of the world’s freshwater consumption. The growing population also means that the demand for foodstuffs is rising, which also brings major increases in the use of energy and water. This has impacts on the environment, ecosystems, the soil and biodiversity, and on people’s food security. In addition, the influence of climate change is reinforcing these effects.

Objective

The dissemination of climate-friendly, energy-efficient and water-saving innovations has been stepped up in food production.

Approach

The project delivers the German contribution to the international initiative Water and Energy for Food (WE4F) – A Grand Challenge. WE4F is being implemented by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the European Union (EU), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (MLFA), the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad), the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

The initiative encourages the agriculture and food industry in developing countries and emerging economies to increase its use of climate-friendly, energy-efficient and water-saving technologies and innovations.

The project implements its measures via two Regional Innovation Hubs in Eastern and Western Africa. The partners of the international initiative operate three more regional hubs covering South-East Asia, the Middle East and Southern and central Africa.

The project focuses on five fields of action:

• strengthening the skills of selected innovators
• skills development for end users and multipliers
• improving access to suitable financing
• simultaneously improving the political framework conditions
• strengthening exchange among specialists at the regional and global levels.

Last update: August 2024