The winner of the Stockholm Water Prize criticized the growing use of biofuels Monday and urged people to eat less meat to help cut the amount of water used in food production. British professor John Anthony Allan said the effect of the growing use of biofuels “is too frightening to even begin to realize.” Allan, 71, of King’s College, London, was awarded the 2008 water prize for his concept of “virtual water,” which measures the amount of water used in industrial and food production. He said meat consumption was bad for the environment. “Non-vegetarians consume five cubic meters (176 cubic feet) of water per day; your bath is a tiny puddle compared to that. It is the water for food that is the big problem,” Allan told The Associated Press. “Be rational and eat less meat.”
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Source: http://www.iht.com/
Population pressure and increasing water competition in a changing climate require us to take stock of the availability and use of water across scales. Water availability not only influences farmers’ commercial prospects but also irrigation-related enterprises and agri-businesses. Greater water scarcity could jeopardize irrigation and agricultural markets while excessive water use can lead to declining ecosystems, water quality and soil health. IWMI advises development partners and the public and private sectors on all aspects of water resource availability and use through a variety of advanced modeling and remote-sensing products and tools, including 
The ability of farmers to engage in or expand irrigation depends on the prevailing socioeconomic, ecological and political contexts, which are often complex, non-linear and changeable. Overcoming systemic barriers to farmer-led irrigation development while taking advantage of existing opportunities 
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Scaling farmer-led irrigation requires strengthening human capacity and knowledge exchange among all actors and stakeholders involved. IWMI takes an action research approach, working with national and international research institutions, governments, extension agents and public and private organizations to co-develop the scaling ecosystem and strengthen capacity to drive scaling networks and collective action. We support the