The world's land and water resources are finite and under pressure from a growing population. Global figures show a relatively low share of land and water actually used by agriculture, but these figures hide major regional variations and a series of locally important imbalances between demand and supply. Demand for land and water from non-agricultural sectors, and a growing recognition of the need to meet environmental requirements further intensifies competition.

Chapter 1 reviews current status and trends of land and water resources, their geographical distribution and their use in agriculture. It presents projections for future agricultural demands towards 2050, and analyses its implication both for rainfed and irrigated agriculture.