Why does agriculture use such a large share of the world’s freshwater?

Agriculture accounts for approximately 70 percent of all available freshwater usage globally, primarily due to the extensive reliance on irrigation to sustain crop production.1

This high consumption is driven by several factors:

• Inefficient Delivery Methods: Many agricultural regions utilize surface irrigation (flooding), which often inundates fields with more water than crops require. Significant volumes are lost to evaporation and seepage during transportation from water sources to the fields.1
• Crop Requirements: Different crops have varying water needs; for example, rice may require two to three times the amount of water needed for cereal grains.2
• Expansion and Arid Farming: Irrigation is essential for reclaiming arid lands and extending crop acreage, which is necessary to meet the food demands of a growing global population.34
• Climate Variability: In many areas, irrigation is used to supplement rainfall, particularly when precipitation is poorly distributed during the growing season.4

To address this, sustainable agriculture promotes water conservation through improved storage, the use of drought-resistant crops, and reduced-volume irrigation systems that minimize waste.1