The main food production systems are at risk of being degraded to the point at which global food security is compromised. Land and water management practice on these large areas of moderate to high potential lands needs to be improved urgently to reverse trends in degradation and maintain levels of productivity. Adaptation to climate change in the granaries of the world will also be vital. Given these trends, what pathways towards more sustainable intensification can be set?

A focus on systems at risk will be a priority for certain countries and regions. But beyond this, sustainable land and water management will need to be translated into national agendas. This chapter sets a direction for the implementation of such agendas given the current and projected state of land and water.  It also indicates how national institutions can be strengthened to ensure that rights in use are protected; how knowledge and technology can be adapted in cooperation with users, and how mechanisms for planning and managing land and water resources can be effectively delegated