From Scarcity to Solutions 2025

Food and water systems face five critical challenges FIGURE 1 Sources: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO); World Resources Institute (WRI); World Health Organization (WHO); Our World in Data; The Water Research Foundation; United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR); BCG analysis.21 Taking action to address the challenges to food and water systems requires looking beyond each individual system. As shown in Figure 2, green food and water systems should be: –Sustainable: able to support sustainable economies, reduce emissions and ensure net- gain biodiversity. –Inclusive: delivering economic opportunities and access to nutritious food and clean water. –Resilient: capable of mitigating supply chain shocks. 1.2 Holistic framework to transform food and water systemsEmerging markets bear the heaviest bur dens fr om food- and water -related challengesFood WaterUnequal supply Health issues 2.3 bn 16/25— people facing food scarcity — 95% ar e in emerging markets0.7 bnvs 1.0 bn 2.0 bn— 0.7 bn people globally face malnutrition — yet 1.0 bn ar e classified as obese — most water -stressed countries in the world located in Middle East and North Africa— people using a drinking water source contaminated with faecesGHG emissions ~30% ~10%— global GHG emissions attributable to food systems — global GHG emissions attributable to water systemsNatural impacts ~90% ~78%— direct defor estation in recent years attributable to agricultur e — global ocean and freshwater eutrophication caused by agricultur eClimate vulnerability $3.8 tn 80mn— global losses to cr ops & livestock due to natural disasters over last 30 years — people at risk of hunger by 2050 due to climate vulnerability caused by water (e.g. flood, drought) From Scarcity to Solutions: Food-Water Innovation in Asia and the Middle East 7