Securing Water for Food: A Grand Challenge for Development Announces Fourth Call for Innovations

Wednesday, August 17, 2016

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Sweden through the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (MFA-NL) and the government of South Africa today announced a fourth call for groundbreaking innovations under Securing Water for Food: A Grand Challenge for Development (link is external).

Launched in 2013, Securing Water for Food aims to increase access to innovations that help farmers produce more food with less water, enhance water storage, and improve the use of saline water and soils to produce food. Over the previous three rounds of Securing Water for Food, the program has saved over 700 million liters of water, produced nearly 2,600 tons of food, and served more than 780,000 farmers and other customers in more than 25 low-resource countries.

“By 2050, global water demand is expected to increase by 55 percent, and 70 percent of global water use occurs in food production,” said Christian Holmes USAID’s Global Water Coordinator. “Through a catalytic use of aid, Securing Water for Food will be able to capture and support the implementation of innovative ideas and new technologies for better water efficiency and sustainable development.”

Source: US Aid (link opens in a new window)

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Agriculture
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innovation