Of course, feeding the world, whose population is expected to reach 8.5 billion within 30 years, will require more than just soybeans. Indeed, it will require a lot of water. Agriculture already consumes 70% of the extracted water used worldwide, and the increased appetite for meat in emerging markets will only exacerbate that usage. About 15,000 litres of water is used to produce a kilogram of beef, compared to 1,500 litres for a kilogram of wheat. The International Water Management Institute, a non-profit researcher headquartered in Colombo, Sri Lanka, estimates that at least 2,000 cubic kilometres of water per year will be needed globally by 2030 for irrigation and rain-fed crops.
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Source: http://www.canadianbusiness.com/markets/commoditie
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 
A lack of affordable credit, particularly for women and resource-poor farmers, is one of the main barriers to expanding farmer-led irrigation in low- and middle-income countries. But 
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