A closer look at China BOX 1 China has advanced efforts to address food-water system sustainability through integrated policy, technological innovation and multi-stakeholder collaboration. The country’s progress provides an example of how to balance resource constraints with agricultural productivity, offering lessons for other emerging economies. Challenges China’s agricultural sector operates under two primary constraints: –Resource scarcity: China possesses just 6% of global freshwater resources and around 9% of global arable land.24 –Structural composition: Around 98% of China’s 200 million agricultural entities are smallholdings.25 Outcomes –Self-reliance in core grain crops: Domestic production on average meets 90%+ of demand for rice, wheat and corn.26 –Global contribution: China sustains almost 20% of the world’s population, accounting for nearly 50% of global pork output and over 35% of aquatic products.27,28,29 –Economic and social progress: Average farmer incomes have increased 10x since 2000, reaching $3,200 in 2024, enhancing livelihoods and reducing rural poverty.30 Food systems are facing critical challenges – but of equal importance, the transition of food systems presents huge opportunities in protecting our natural resources and the environment, reducing GHG emissions, and providing livelihoods for millions of smallholders and vulnerable food insecure populations. Water is one of the most critical elements within the food system. Innovations in technology, policy, institutions, business practice and our behaviours are the only ways forward to achieve the desirable goals we all seek. Shenggen Fan, Chair Professor and Dean, Academy of Global Food Economics and Policy (AGFEP), China Agricultural University (CAU)A closer look at the Middle East BOX 2 The Middle East has developed strategies to address extreme water scarcity and limited arable land through technological and institutional initiatives, supported by collaborative efforts across public and private sectors.31 Challenges The region operates under significant resource constraints: –Water scarcity: 14 countries face extreme water stress, with per capita freshwater availability below half the global average.32 –Arable land limitations: Less than 5% of total land is suitable for agriculture, requiring productivity gains in arid environments.33 Institutional and technological initiatives Key mechanisms to address these challenges include: –Public-private collaborations: Partnerships between national ministries, authorities and water technology firms support the R&D activities of leading universities into solutions such as solar-powered desalination. –Specialized research institutions: Dedicated research and innovation hubs (e.g. World Economic Forum’s Food Innovation Hub UAE) focus on creating enabling ecosystems to develop and test technologies such as salt-tolerant crops and soil rehabilitation methods, making the region a test-bed for innovations. –Cross-border cooperation: Emerging global water organizations, such as Saudi Arabia’s Global Water Organization, facilitate knowledge exchange on water management practices. Outcomes –The region operates more than 400 desalination plants, accounting for approximately 40% of global desalinated water production.34 –Advances in bioengineering and soil enhancement have enabled agricultural activity in arid regions, contributing to economic diversification efforts. From Scarcity to Solutions: Food-Water Innovation in Asia and the Middle East 12

From Scarcity to Solutions 2025