Irrigated agriculture and its importance in food production: water-food nexus

On June 15th, Irrigated Agriculture Day is celebrated. The celebration aims to create a critical and active stance in relation to the importance of irrigated agriculture for sustainability in food production and for the development and food, economic and environmental security of Brazil.

The creation of the date provides an opportunity to debate the topic of irrigated agriculture and raise awareness in society about the strategic importance of this important technology. Irrigation, perhaps because it is one of the oldest technologies and is already part of the agricultural landscape, is rarely remembered as an important innovation today, even though it is one of the most important technologies for the development of agriculture and sustainable food production ever conceived. . Among the various technologies that contributed to the intensification of agriculture, irrigation is, without a doubt, one of the main ones.

June 15th was strategically chosen because it is close to World Environment Day (June 5th) and because it is at the beginning of the dry period, in most Brazilian regions, a time of year in which food production is totally dependent of irrigation.

This celebration also seeks to shed light on the importance of irrigation in economic and social development. Irrigation is, without a doubt, the technology with the greatest potential to contribute to increasing food and environmental security, as well as reducing hunger and poverty, in addition to generating a large number of jobs. It brings important benefits related to food production, job creation, social development and the environment. It is a fundamental technology in any State strategic planning.

Irrigation works as insurance against periods of water uncertainty, which are increasingly common. In the issue of climate change, with potential impacts on temperature and rainfall, irrigation presents itself as one of the main adaptation technologies, contributing to reducing climate uncertainty and bringing stability to production – but, above all, allowing the accumulation of carbon in the soil through the possibility of exploiting more than one annual crop, adding organic matter residues to the soil, which could contribute to the mitigation of climate change.

Brazil is one of the few countries in the world, if not the only one, with the capacity to sustainably triple its irrigated area. With around 8,5 million hectares irrigated, it currently ranks ninth in the world, irrigating 7,8% of the area irrigated by China, whose territory is around 11% larger. With the potential to irrigate 55 million hectares, which is the greatest potential for growth in irrigated area in the world, the country has challenges to be faced.

What are the obstacles to the sustainable development of irrigated agriculture in Brazil? They are certainly not technological and do not depend on the irrigant for their solution. A report produced by the Ministry of Planning identified favorable and unfavorable contextual factors that reflect elements outside the governance or scope of the theme that can positively or negatively influence the development of irrigated agriculture.

The favorable contextual factors identified were: (a) demand for higher quality food; (b) increase in global food demand; (c) higher level of demand for environmental preservation; (d) worsening of extreme weather events due to climate change. The unfavorable contextual factors identified were: (a) possibility of an energy crisis; (b) conflicts over water use; (c) limiting the expansion of water reserve capacity; (d) restrictive environmental legislation; (e) rising costs of water, energy and other inputs.

How to move forward on these issues? Water and food is a fundamental binomial for the survival of human beings on the planet. However, the challenge of seeking to effectively and strategically integrate water and food security policies still persists, in order to bring stability to food production. This integration is even more important when one considers that around half of global grain production could, in a short period of time, be at risk due to water stress. This risk is even more worrying when considering the effect of climate change, whose scenarios have indicated an increase in rainfall uncertainty in several regions of the planet, including regions of Brazil.

When thinking about the water-food nexus, it is essential to consider the role of irrigated agriculture. The complexity inherent in this interaction is one of the reasons for debates and disputes, often unnecessary, between user sectors. If current conditions are maintained, the increase in food production will require more water and could further increase disputes over water use, reducing the quality of life of the rural population. It is in this sense that science plays a fundamental role. Innovations change the current scenario, making it possible to produce more without increasing water demands.

Brazil is an eminently agricultural country. Considering the different territories, some regions only exist due to agriculture, while others are only economically viable due to the existence of irrigated agriculture, and have become synonymous with food security, presenting great development in technology, scientific basis and improvement in HDI indicators. Lagoa da Confusão, in Tocantins, and Western Bahia are examples of successful use of technology in the field to produce food. Agricultural niches such as the flower niche are examples of the use of technology in the efficient use of water. This must be understood by society as one of our most important assets.

It is important to highlight that although it is not directly understood by the local population, all trade in these regions is handled by the population who work in agriculture. Therefore, it is increasingly important to change the questions. Instead of questioning that irrigated agriculture uses a lot of water and what should be done to make this use more difficult, we should ask: how to increase the efficiency of use and improve communication in order to have more water security for irrigated areas without compromising the environment?

In 2021, the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply presented the new Sector Plan for Adaptation and Low Carbon Emissions in Agriculture (ABC+), with the goal of reducing equivalent carbon emissions (CO2eq) by 1,1 billion tons in the sector agriculture until 2030. The new plan included irrigated systems as one of the technologies to be supported, setting the target of increasing the irrigated area by 3 million hectares, which would have a potential to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions of 50 million of Mg CO2eq.

In order for Brazil's strategic role as a global food producer to be consolidated, it is important that our farmers have water and energy security. That is, when considering essential issues involving water resources, irrigation must be placed on this agenda, as a state policy and strategically, as the main technology to guarantee stability and sustainability in food production.