Jennie Barron: “In some parts of the world, food security would be seriously reduced without irrigation systems”

In this interview, Jennie Barron, Professor Agricultural Water Management at SLU discusses the impact of variability in rainfall on local and global food markets, emphasising the importance of irrigation for food security and the economic interest of farmers.

She also covers the need for sustainable irrigation practices, considering economic, social, and environmental aspects. Additionally, it discusses the role of legislation, policies, and market support in ensuring sustainable development, with examples from Ethiopia. Finally, Barron addresses the need for tools and technologies to support efficient irrigation scheduling for farmers, particularly focusing on the limitations of current remote sensing tools for smallholder farmers.

This interview is part of SIANI’s ‘Tune in to Food Systems’ interview series composed of interview articles with experts across fields dedicated to sustainable food systems.

• What are the effects of hydrological variables on the resilience of irrigated agriculture to drought?

The impact is both on a very local level, for example, at a farmer’s field. Still, it’s also in the overall global food market or food trading market. So when we have variability in rainfall and too much or too little, we get less yield than in an average or near normal year. The quality of nutrition has decreased. But on the global market, we might have like a drought in one place… and we have a drought in another place, and then we have a compound of events on our food producing areas in the world and then prices on the world market for that food produce is going up.

• What is needed to ensure the implementation of measures such as water retention capacity in the agriculture landscape?

One way to adapt to this rainfall variability is to buffer and take care of the water. The first thing to do is to improve health. And the second thing is, of course, you can have small storage or storage facilities that can capture and store your water so you can access it. And the third thing is, of course, that some of your infiltration water, either from the ground or from your tanks, it might infiltrate down and recharge your shallow groundwater. These structures need to be implemented. You can call them nature-based solutions because they work with nature, the way rainfall enters the soil, the ground and the streams.

• What are the main drivers for the adoption of improved irrigation technologies?

It’s the farmer’s economic interest. You can get more by irrigating. But on a country level, of course, irrigation can be a very critical supply. And in some parts of the world, of course, you couldn’t supply all the food for the population without irrigation.
For example, in India, China and many other countries. The food security would be seriously reduced if you don’t have irrigation systems to provide that food.

• In light of the immense pressure many countries are experiencing on water resources, could freshwater storage be a viable solution to climate change?

In the 1980s, there was big droughts in parts of Africa. After 1984-85, there was a lot of investment in certain parts of small reservoirs. In West Africa, for example, but also in Southern Africa. In Australia, farmers have always invested in small tanks, and, of course, if you have too much water collection in the landscape unit, you can undermine some of the river ecosystem services or the infiltration to your shallow groundwater, so you have to have a balance. However, overall, in many parts of the world, there is still an opportunity to develop and store water, and in some cases, like in the semi-arid Sub-Saharan Africa, where there is no other option, when there’s a nine-month dry season.
So, in some cases, there’s been a paradigm shift in how big large dams are, where to construct them, and how they alter natural flood systems. You have to think of your purpose, your wish, and the fact that water, in some cases, is essential for rural people even to get clean and healthy water and to have that water to support their livelihoods.

• What is the understanding of the sustainability of farming systems and irrigation and water supply technology in Africa?

When discussing sustainability it encompasses economic, social, and environmental aspects. From an economic perspective, irrigation must provide food security for the market and consumers while also generating income for the farmers. But then, there’s the social standpoint; there should be equal opportunities for various types of farmers, including women, youth, and others, without limiting access to technologies or opportunities.

And then, of course, there are the environmental aspects. There must be some boundaries on water access and use. It’s important to ensure that when developing irrigation systems, one also pays attention to fertilizer practices and pesticide usage, ensuring that these are done following the best practices possible. Of course, it’s crucial to avoid overutilizing water resources.

• What is the role of governments in stimulating the adoption of appropriate technologies to improve water productivity?

On the one hand, it’s about legislation, policies, and strategies to ensure environmentally, socially and economically sustainable development. Also, the market plays a role as it ultimately drives the adoption, supports farmers in earning a fair income, and ensures fairness for consumers. Additionally, the market needs to provide supplies for irrigation. Currently, about five to seven per cent of the cropland is irrigated in sub-Saharan Africa, but there is still great potential to expand water availability sustainably. Moreover, there is an opportunity to enhance the sustainability and efficiency of existing irrigation systems.

• Have you seen any change in policymaking due to climate change?

Policy and strategies are changing to support farmers. For example, in Ethiopia, they are cutting taxes on imported equipment to make it more accessible to farmers. There is a recognition that food security is important, and it has been elevated. One way to secure the food supply is also to develop irrigation systems.

• How to support smallholder farmers in interpreting climate information and data collection in planning and managing water resources?

If farmers have the opportunity to save money, increase efficiency, and earn more money with less work, they will adopt the tools and technologies. Currently, digital remote sensing tools are not ready to effectively support smallholder farmers. The resolution of openly accessible remote sensing data is still too coarse for the small field sizes of these farmers. Additionally, there is a lack of detailed soil data. More work needs to be done to provide farmers with the tools they need to make informed and efficient decisions about irrigation scheduling.