Heard on the Hill: Feed the Future Leadership Joins Conversation on Water and Food Security in Washington

On March 20, in recognition of World Water Day, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Chief Scientist, Dr. Catherine Woteki, participated in a briefing for Congressional staff hosted by the Global Harvest Initiative (GHI) called, “Too Hot, Too Wet, Too Dry: Building Resilient Agroecosystems.” The panel was sponsored by Senator Mike Johanns (R-NE), and included Dr. Margaret Ziegler and Dr. Roberto Lenton of the Daugherty Water for Food Institute at the University of Nebraska. Dr. Woteki spoke about the importance of water conservation to agriculture, as agricultural production accounts for the largest share of water consumption in the United States. She also highlighted the value of agricultural research to ensuring a sustainable water supply today and for the future.

GHI and the Water for Food Institute also hosted a panel of the same name that morning at the National Press Club, featuring USAID Assistant to the Administrator in the Bureau for Food Security, Paul Weisenfeld, as well as NationalDrought Mitigation Center Climatologist Mark Svoboda of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln; World Resources Institute Executive Vice President and Managing Director Manish Bapna; and Elanco Senior Director of Global Corporate Affairs Claudia Garcia, DVM. The panelists discussed global water, food security, and climate change challenges, including how farmers across the globe will cope with a changing climate and produce enough food to feed growing populations.

Watch a video of the panel on water and food security at the National Press Club or read a new blog on how Feed the Future is helping farmers grow more with less water!