World Water Day 2012 - Water and Food Security

There are 7 billion people to feed on the planet today and another 2 billion are expected to join by 2050.

Statistics say that each of us drinks from 2 to 4 litres of water every day, however most of the water we 'drink' is embedded in the food we eat: producing 1 kilo of beef for example consumes 15,000 litres of water while 1 kilo of wheat 'drinks up' 1,500 litres.

Do you know how much water you actually consume every day? How can you change your diet and reduce your water footprint? Join the World Water Day 2012 campaign ( ) "Water and Food Security" and find out more.

World Water Day 2012 is coordinated by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations.

The theme of "Water and Food Security" is high on the agenda this year with three major international events — the World Water Forum, World Water Day and World Water Week — that address the relationships between water and food production and look at ways to feed growing populations within the boundaries of our freshwater resources.

When a billion people in the world already live in chronic hunger and water resources are under pressure we cannot pretend the problem is ‘elsewhere’. Coping with population growth and ensuring access to nutritious food to everyone call for a series of actions we can all help with:

• follow a healthier, sustainable diet;
• consume less water-intensive products;
• reduce the scandalous food wastage: 30% of the food produced worldwide is never eaten and the water used to produce it is definitively lost!
• produce more food, of better quality, with less water.

At all steps of the supply chain, from producers to consumers, actions can be taken to save water and ensure food for all.

Video

A 30 second promo focusing on the issues which concern you this year on World Water Day and featuring a soundtrack by DDG Project.
Download your animation on: http://www.unwater.org/worldwaterday

Secretary General's Message

"Unless we increase our capacity to use water wisely in agriculture, we will fail to end hunger and we will open the door to a range of other ills, including drought, famine and political instability."

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
Message for the World Water Day 2012

Links

• UN-Water
• World Water Day website
• UN Water Day Observance website
• FAO Water
• UNRIC In Focus - Water
• UNRIC In Focus - Food Waste