the conference commenced on monday with a message on cleaning your plate. experts at the conference claim that food waste results in considerable water waste. less than a quarter of all food grown worldwide either remains untouched on our plates or rots before even getting there. the new stockholm international water institute siwi report stated that in the u.s, 40 percent of food purchased is discarded. this is highlighted in a new documentary called taste the waste. while almost one billion people suffer from hunger and malnourishment worldwide, this is considered an awful habit. before the year 2050, the growth of number of human mouths to feed will be up to 2 billion. although, water is found to be scarce in some areas, the amount of water we use today will be similar to support the food and energy requirements of an expanding population. therefore, water and food security are linked. at the moment, about 70 percent of available global freshwater is used by us for irrigation of crops and food production. a single burger takes 660 gallons 2,500 liters of water are used to produce a single burger, as it is mainly used to irrigate livestock feed. our interactive the hidden water we use can be checked for water footprints of other foods. in relation to 365 trillion gallons of water thrown away with our food every year, water losses through food waste occur not only at home, but also through inefficient food harvesting, processing, distribution, transport, and storage methods. anders jägerskog, the siwi director of knowledge services, stated that the primary challenge of this century is to feed everyone sufficiently. while undernourishment, overeating, and waste are on the rise, water scarcity may cause future constraints for increased food production. in the future, a recipe would be required to feed the world. the new siwi report &ldquofeeding a thirsty world challenges and opportunities for a water and food secure world&rdquo is coauthored by anders. directorgeneral of the international water management institute iwmi and winner of the 2012 stockholm water prize, colin chartres, stated in the opening ceremony of world water week that by 2050, it will be possible to feed more than nine billion people. however, reflecting on the cost of the environment in the case of water withdrawals and land resources is required. we need to indulge in plant breeding, increase productivity, reduce food waste, and recycle waste water, in order to save water. irrigation is also required. the leader of national geographic&rsquos freshwater initiative, sandra postel, wrote in a recent blog post for water currents on the assurance of efficient drip irrigation systems. she mentioned that the most crucial challenge is to find ways to get more crop per drop for meeting food requirements, as the world population increases with the spread of water stress throughout the world. a movie on the costs of food waste by valentin thurn, who is a german filmmaker, is being launched today at the conference. source of information httpnewswatch.nationalgeographic.com20120829wastefoodwastewateramessagefromworldwaterweek
