Global Forum for Food and Agriculture (GFFA)

It was highlighted that sustainable water and agricultural management playa a key role in ensuring food and water security.

Efficient water use in agriculture should promoted, including through precision irrigation, water-saving measures, water reuse, soil protection, and the reduction of food losses.

Water retention, storage, and sustainable use of soil and groundwater should be strengthened; nature-based solutions such as the preservation of healthy soils, forests, and wetlands play a key role in this regard, as do technical solutions such as retention basins or seawater desalination.

Agriculture must be able to cope with both water scarcity and water surpluses; flood risk management should be strengthened.

Pollution of water by agriculture and aquaculture should be reduced; proven practices to protect water quality, such as cover cropping and buffer strips, should be expanded.

Genetic diversity and breeding should be improved to enhance drought and salinity tolerance.

Research, development, innovation, and infrastructure, as well as AI and improved data systems, are crucial for efficient water use.

The potential of a sustainable blue bioeconomy should be promoted as a contribution to food security, climate protection, biodiversity, and regional value creation. It was highlighted that, particularly in coastal and rural regions, the promotion of the blue bioeconomy can create diversified income opportunities.

Competition over water use should be addressed through integrated, participatory water resources management, clear rights, gender equality, and the protection of vulnerable groups.

International water governance and the role of UN institutions should be strengthened, particularly in the run-up to the UN Water Conference taking place in 2026.

Young farmers face major challenges due to climate change, resource scarcity, wars, and declining food security.

Water is a central and increasingly scarce resource. Dilapidated infrastructure and poor governance exacerbate the situation.

Secure harvests require access to water, energy, infrastructure, knowledge, and improved risk management.

Innovations (e.g. modern irrigation, digitalization, agroecology) strengthen resilience but are not accessible to everyone.

The bioeconomy can help stabilize incomes and create more value added in agriculture.

Young farmers must be more strongly involved in political decision-making processes – because they are not only the future, but already key actors today.