FAO HQ, Rome | 28 May 2018

The global population is expected to reach 9.1 billion in 2050 and a 50 percent surge in food demand is expected by that time. In addition, agriculture is by far the biggest user of water, accounting for almost 70 percent of all withdrawals globally and up to 95 percent in some developing countries, while competition with other sectors for water is increasing.

This calls for alternative sources of water and land on which to engage in agricultural activities. There is no shortage of seawater: almost 97 percent of the water on earth is in the oceans. Land can also be plentiful if we consider the drylands, which cover over 40 percent of the earth’s total land surface and span globally 100 developing countries with a growing population currently of more than 2.5 billion people.

With sea level rise due to climate change, salinity intrusion will increase, reaching more to our coastal and inland environments, affecting their agriculture potential. The impacts of salt-affected areas on agriculture are numerous, and can affect not only agricultural production, but also the living conditions of farmers, the economy at different levels, the balance of ecosystems, and the quality of natural resources. The most important impacts that salt-affected soils can have on crop production include the decline in crop yields but also a decline in soil productivity, an increased need for external inputs including water, reduced water use efficiency, and in some cases, no longer being able to use the affected lands for agricultural purposes. While the traditional approach is to fight salinity, and rehabilitate soils, which requires additional water to leach salts, a more sustainable approach is to adjust farming systems to higher salinity levels in affected areas. Soil salinity management is  key in sustaining productivity.

The opportunity to practice a new type of agriculture, i.e. crop production, livestock and aquaculture, in such saline environments is arising. Saline agriculture consists of developing systems suitable for saline environments, using the capacity of certain plants to grow under saline conditions and the ability to practice other agricultural activities which combine the use of saline soil, saline water and improved soil and water management. 

The Global Framework on Water Scarcity in Agriculture (WASAG) brings together different sectors committed to finding solutions to the challenges posed by climate change and a growing world population to sustainable agriculture production, in a context of water scarcity. WASAG currently has more than 50 partners and 6 Working Groups on:  drought preparedness, water and migration, financing mechanisms, water and nutrition, sustainable agriculture water use and communication strategy. A new Working Group is now being considered, to explore the emerging opportunities offered by saline agriculture, in a context of water scarcity.