Global Agriculture Ministers Call for Water-Centred Policies as Scarcity Threatens Food Security

Agriculture ministers from more than 60 countries have agreed that tackling growing water scarcity and competing demands requires placing agriculture at the heart of water policy and governance, warning that global food security cannot be achieved without decisive action on water management.

The consensus was reached at the 2026 Global Forum for Food and Agriculture (GFFA), held in Berlin from January 14 to 17, where ministers adopted a final communiqué during the Berlin Agriculture Ministers’ Conference. The communiqué recognizes the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) for its leadership in helping countries translate global commitments on water and food security into coordinated action on the ground.

Ministers stressed that rapid population growth is driving rising food demand at a time when freshwater resources are under increasing pressure, making effective water governance more critical than ever to uphold the human rights to water and food.

“This communiqué sends a clear message: water security and food security are inseparable, and agriculture must be at the center of solutions,” said FAO Deputy Director-General Beth Bechdol. She added that as the world moves toward the 2026 UN Water Conference, agriculture must remain firmly anchored in the global water agenda, supported by concrete actions that improve water access, governance and resilience for farmers and rural communities.

Building political momentum on water and food systems

The GFFA is an annual high-level platform where global priorities on agriculture and food policy are shaped. This year’s forum, organized by Germany’s Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Regional Identity, was held under the theme “Water. Harvests. Our Future.”

Throughout the forum, FAO brought scientific evidence, country-level experiences and policy solutions into ministerial and technical discussions. Participants highlighted the importance of sustainable water use in agriculture, integrated land and water management, and inclusive governance systems to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

FAO’s Strategic Framework 2022–2031 places water governance at the core of efforts to strengthen food security, rural livelihoods and environmental sustainability. It calls for integrated approaches that link water, land and agrifood systems through sound policies and inclusive institutions.

Managing competing water demands

Balancing competing demands for water featured prominently during the FAO-organized GFFA High-Level Ministerial Panel titled “Finding Constructive Solutions to Competing Uses,” held on January 16.

With agriculture responsible for more than 70 percent of global freshwater withdrawals, panelists emphasized the need to move beyond siloed sectoral approaches. They called for integrated management of water, land and soil, supported by coherent governance frameworks, innovation and stronger cross-sector cooperation.

In preparation for the upcoming UN Water Conference, FAO also outlined key priorities to strengthen coherence between water governance and agrifood systems at both national and global levels.

Discussions at GFFA 2026 also focused on the blue economy, with FAO contributing to sessions on blue foods, aquatic food systems and aquaculture as drivers of nutrition, resilience and sustainability. The organization stressed the importance of responsible development, aligned with FAO’s Guidelines for Sustainable Aquaculture, to ensure long-term environmental and economic benefits.

As climate change, population growth and water scarcity intensify, ministers agreed that placing agriculture at the center of water governance is no longer optional but essential for safeguarding global food systems and future livelihoods.