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Blog Action Day 2010 - Beat hunger with water
 

As part of Blog Action Day 2010, we are using this blog to look at water.

In bottles, from the tap, sparkling or flat, from an idyllic spring or a mountain creek: many of us take the ubiquity of safe drinking water for granted.

However, 1 billion people do not have adequate access to safe drinking water. Part of Goal 7 of the Millenium Development Goals is to halve that number by 2015. In order to achieve this we must understand the impact water scarcity can have on availability. In this guest blog, Emma Herman from Fairfood International takes a closer look at this precious resource.

We may well live on the Blue Planet, but some populated regions are getting dangerously dry, pushing people into thirst, hunger and poverty. Although we do not face a global water crisis yet, advocating a more sustainable use of water resources in agriculture is fundamental if we want to improve access to fresh water for all.

Why agriculture? Because according to the FAO 70% of global water use is related to agricultural activity. Rice is the thirstiest crop, with an annual production estimated to account for about 21% of global crop water use, followed by wheat at around 12%. Problems with the unsustainable use of water also occur in many other crops such as maize, mango, oranges, pineapple, sugar cane, coconut and ginger, amoungst others.

Sustainable use of water in agriculture implies more efficient management, especially of irrigation practices. In many dry regions of the globe, high crop yields and consequently food security and income gains are dependent on irrigation, which accounts for 60% of total available water resources in the Near East and North Africa.

Since all water on earth is part of the natural water cycle, even water used for agricultural processes will at a certain point need to be accessible for drinking and sanitation and so sustainable use of water also means a reduction in wastewater production, and minimising water pollution.

Access to clean and drinkable water are crucial for alleviating poverty and hunger. When water is polluted or scarce living conditions worsen dramatically, as do economic conditions for those active in agriculture. Not surprisingly, the FAO reminds us that the highest concentration of rural poverty coincides with the areas where water and sanitation are dramatically lacking.

So far, the goal of clean and healthy water accessible to all is far from being achieved. But a number of innovative solutions are coming out of international efforts, such as the idea of international standards of water sustainability, proposed by the Alliance for Water Stewardship, or a water footprint label on the products on supermarket shelves, stating the total amount of fresh water used in their production. You might be surprised to learn that it takes 200 litres of water just to produce your morning cup of latte!

If the ideal of more sustainable use of water is to become a reality, the food and beverage industry has to commit to this goal, take its responsibility and share knowledge and good practices concerning sustainable water use. Every drop counts: by adding individual improvements in water use made by brand owners in the food and beverage industry, large and small, a real change can be made.

Currently Fairfood are running an interesting viral video campaign ‘Face Your Food’ to compel people to reflect on these issues and is well worth a look.

 
Posted by Guest Blogger - Emma Herman (Fairfood International) in Water & Sanitation for column Issue Analysis on Oct 15th 2010, 01:00
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Which logo indicates what, anyway?
 

Worldwide, there are hundreds of certification schemes and other initiatives promoting the sustainability of food. That is good news for increased sustainability within the food industry. There is a potential pitfall though, as Emma Herman, a spokesperson for Fairfood International, points out in a guest blog.

More than one billion people worldwide suffer from extreme hunger. Fortunately, more and more people are aware of this and will not stand for it. The movement towards sustainability has the wind in its sails.

The number of different sustainability initiatives is still increasing. Besides well-known certification labels such as Fair Trade Original and Rainforest Alliance, there are also what are known as multi-stakeholder initiatives, in which companies and NGOs meet to consider criteria for making an entire sector more sustainable. The Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil is a good example of such an initiative. A similar development can be seen around specific themes, for which codes are being developed such as the SA 8000, which concerns workers’ rights. And then there are companies that choose to start their own sustainability initiatives. The coffee giant Starbucks, for instance, started the Starbucks Shared Planet programme.

All of these sustainability labels, codes, programmes, certification schemes and roundtables contribute their share to increased sustainability of the food industry. That is very beneficial for our climate, for the billions that work in agriculture and for the poorer countries, as fairer trade allows them to develop in a sustainable way.

However, the multitude of initiatives can also be confusing. Consumers complain that they can’t see the trees for the wood. As it stands, nobody knows which logo means what anymore, with the consequence that some concerned consumers might throw in the towel altogether. Obviously it would be terrible if these good intentions end up overshooting the mark in such a way.

In Fairfood International’s lobbying conversations with food and beverage companies, the latter often point out that entrepreneurs also have difficulties finding their way amongst the crowd of sustainability initiatives. They want to be told clearly what is expected of them, and what they can do to fulfill these expectations. This is why Fairfood acts as an intermediary between the food and beverage industry and the different sustainability solutions on offer. In some cases pointing the way to a certification scheme or code of conduct, in others, giving examples of corporate initiatives that worked out well. In this way, companies that want to make an effort in their Corporate Social Responsibility will find the right partners and so achieve tangible results quickly. The responsibility for undertaking sustainability initiatives lies with the companies themselves. Fortunately, more and more companies are willing to contribute to a structural solution for extreme hunger and poverty in this way.

Would you like to learn more? Then look up the Solution of the Month on the Fairfood blog, for a review of different certification schemes and other sustainability initiatives.
Posted by Guest Blogger - Emma Herman (Fairfood International) in Environment & Climate for column Issue Analysis on Sep 29th 2010, 16:42
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