UN Expert Calls for Agroecological and Water Transition to Ensure Sustainable Food Systems

The Special Rapporteur called for governments to redirect the $540 billion currently spent annually on subsidies for conventional production and consumption systems.

The global water and food crises are increasingly intertwined with climate change, and addressing this connection is essential for human survival, a UN expert warned today. Pedro Arrojo-Agudo, the Special Rapporteur on the human rights to water and sanitation, delivered a critical report to the 79th UN General Assembly, emphasizing the need for new governance approaches to confront these interconnected challenges.

"It is more vital than ever for governments to take the lead in developing innovative governance strategies to tackle the water and food crises, which are deeply connected to climate change," Arrojo-Agudo said.

He critiqued the current global food system, which is driven by the notion of limitless economic growth and overreliance on market forces. "Our food systems are grounded in the myth that production can grow indefinitely, and we place blind faith in markets to distribute food fairly," he remarked.

The Special Rapporteur called for governments to redirect the $540 billion currently spent annually on subsidies for conventional production and consumption systems. He urged that this funding be reallocated to support an agroecological and water transition that incorporates human rights, ensuring sustainable, healthy, and equitable food systems.

"Water and food are inextricably linked," Arrojo-Agudo stressed. "Water is fundamental for both our daily nutrition and food production." He pointed out that despite massive global food production, 2 billion people still lack access to safe drinking water, 800 million are experiencing hunger, and another 2.5 billion suffer from overweight and obesity.

Highlighting the environmental degradation caused by current agricultural practices, Arrojo-Agudo noted that overexploitation of aquifers, pollution from industrial pesticides and fertilizers, and the concentration of waste from intensive livestock farming have made agriculture a leading contributor to toxic water pollution. "These practices are destroying rural communities and eroding traditional knowledge," he said.

The expert warned that deforestation and industrial farming practices are severely degrading the soil's regenerative capacity, increasing vulnerability to climate change. He called for a global shift toward sustainable water management and agroecological practices as part of a broader adaptation strategy to combat climate change.

"Water transition should guide adaptation strategies, much like the energy transition guides mitigation efforts," Arrojo-Agudo emphasized, urging countries to promote policies that align with both human rights and environmental sustainability. He concluded by stating that there is ample room to adopt sustainable agroecological practices that support both human rights and environmental protection while building resilience to climate impacts.