Water is essential for food production and a cornerstone of global food security. Yet, at current levels of performance, agricultural water systems can sustainably feed only 3.4 billion people—far below the 10 billion people projected to inhabit the planet by 2050.
Today, 80% of global agriculture is rainfed, producing 60% of our food—but leaving 500 million smallholder farmers highly vulnerable to erratic rainfall and limited access to inputs and finance. By contrast, irrigated agriculture covers just 20% of farmland yet produces 40% of global food. In water-scarce areas, irrigation typically doubles yields compared to rainfed farming, supporting higher productivity, more diverse crops, steadier incomes, and more jobs. In Sub-Saharan Africa, however, only 6% of farmland is irrigated, far below what’s needed to meet surging food demand.
The pressure on food systems is growing. By 2050, global food demand is expected to rise by more than 70%, driving an urgent need for smarter Agricultural Water Management (AWM) to enable more diverse, high-value food production. At the same time, climate change, urbanization, and industrial growth are intensifying competition for water.
Many countries have expanded irrigation and strengthened institutions, but most AWM systems remain ill-prepared for the challenges ahead. Aging, poorly maintained infrastructure leaves farmers without reliable water through the growing season, while weak accountability and limited customer focus make water delivery reactive rather than responsive. As a result, systems often fail to adapt to local realities or shifting demands.
Institutional weaknesses are compounded by distorted policies and market signals. Irrigation fees are often flat and disconnected from actual water use, providing little incentive for efficiency or conservation. Subsidies rarely align with sustainability, equity, or productivity goals. Too often, farmers are treated as passive recipients of infrastructure rather than as clients or partners.
Yet experience shows that when services are reliable, farmers are willing to pay. Many already do—investing in pumps, boreholes, or buying water at full pumping cost in informal markets to compensate for unreliable canal deliveries.
Expanding irrigation has the potential to transform economies and livelihoods. In the Sahel, it could generate over 8 million jobs by 2030. In Bangladesh, scaling up private irrigation pumps has already created more than 3.5 million jobs. A forthcoming global analysis estimates that converting rainfed cropland with available blue water to irrigation could create 245 million jobs and add $585 billion in value added—218 million jobs in Sub-Saharan Africa alone, equivalent to four jobs per newly irrigated hectare.
Irrigation can also reduce childhood stunting by up to 20% in Sub-Saharan Africa and boost agricultural GDP by 46%, underscoring its transformative effect on productivity and nutrition.
Agricultural water management (AWM) also reduces pressure on ecosystems. Up to 127 million hectares of rainfed land could be sustainably converted to irrigation, while 125 million hectares of unsustainably irrigated land require reduced water use. Raising productivity on existing farmland, paired with supportive policies, can help curb agricultural expansion into forests and natural habitats.
AWM is also a critical climate solution. Smarter irrigation can cut methane emissions—8% of which come from rice cultivation—while boosting soil carbon storage. Realizing these gains requires better data, sharper incentives, and services tailored to local needs.
Last Updated: Oct 16, 2025
