Global leaders meeting yesterday (27 August) at the 2012 World Water Week in Stockholm have called for ‘substantial increases in public and private sector investment’ to help tackle food waste and water efficiency.

More than 2000 politicians from over 200 countries were joined by scientists, CEOs and the leaders of multi-national organisations to take part in a series of seminars linked to this year’s theme of ‘Water and Food Security’.

It is intended that over the course of the week, delegates will debate the issue of limited water resources in the face of economic and population growth, considering in particular how to deliver clean water and safe sanitation to the 2 million people worldwide living without basic facilities.

Speaking on the effects of water waste, Torgny Holmgren, Executive Director of the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) – who organised the event - said: “More than one-fourth of all the water we use worldwide is taken to grow over one billion tons of food that nobody eats. That water, together with the billions of dollars spent to grow, ship, package and purchase the food, is sent down the drain.

“Reducing the waste of food is the smartest and most direct route to relieve pressure on water and land resources. It’s an opportunity we cannot afford to overlook.”

Organisers have said that at a time where over 900 million people suffer from hunger - with a further 2 billion experiencing serious health risks as a result of malnourishment - and over a third of all food lost or wasted, it is ‘crucial’ for delegates to understand the link between food, water and energy production.

The International Water Resource Economics Consortium (IWREC) has announced that it now intends to hold a Chief Economist Panel debate on how to use economic policy instruments to manage water more efficiently. There will also be wider deliberation on issues such as trade, human rights, climate change and the leasing of land by foreign governments for agricultural production.

The Director-General of the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), José Graziano da Silva, reflected that though escalating pressure on water resources will severely threaten food and water security in many regions of the world if effective intervention is not sought, investment in smallholder farmers could be crucial in achieving international water security: “The numbers show that agriculture is a thirsty activity. But that also means that agriculture holds the key to sustainable water use.

"Throughout the world, 2.6 billion small-scale producers till the land, raise animals and fish. They are the main providers of food in the developing world. If we want them to produce more sustainably, preserving natural resources, adapting to and contributing to the mitigation of climate change, we need to help them. We cannot expect them to do it alone.”

For more information, visit World Water Week’s website.