Rain-fed agriculture makes crop production vulnerable to weather variability. By improving access and secure storage of water and efficient irrigation methods farmers have tools for realising a more secure harvest. Smallholder farms have often less access to knowledge, information and credit. With many small users and sources, efficiency in water use becomes challenging.  In small-holder systems priority is not always given to proper drainage, resulting in salinisation of the soil and pollution of water sources by agro-chemicals. 

For large-scale farmers, challenges have been found in using water more efficient. In many countries irrigation systems have lost its initial potential and some have even fallen in disuse. Rehabilitating and upgrading opens up new ways for efficient water use. Pollution by agro-chemicals can threaten groundwater and surface water, for example in the horticultural sector.

There are organisations and platforms where best practices and ideas can be shared and information can be gained. Please find a few below. Do you know platforms or knowledge hubs you would like to share with us? Please contact us via r.terhorst@viawater.nl

Platforms to gain or share ideas on Equitable and efficient water use in urban and peri-urban agriculture:
 

• http://knowledge4food.net/knowledge-portal/
  • This F&BKP Knowledge Portal provides you with selected references to knowledge and innovations in the field of food and nutrition security and aims to give you an updated overview of relevant knowledge items related to the Dutch development agenda. Items such as reports, briefs, toolkits and articles per topic are selected and shared by the F&BKP Office knowledge brokers and the wider F&BKP network of partners and experts in the field of Food and Nutrition Security (FNS).
• http://www.urbanfarming.org/
  • The Urban Farming™ mission is to create an abundance of food for people in need by supporting and encouraging the establishment of gardens on unused land and space while increasing diversity, raising awareness for health and wellness, and inspiring and educating youth, adults and seniors to create an economically sustainable system to uplift communities around the globe.