Food and Water Systems in the Intelligent AgeW H I T E P A P E RD E C E M B E R 2 0 2 4
Images: Getty ImagesDisclaimer This document is published by the World Economic Forum as a contribution to a project, insight area or interaction. The findings, interpretations and conclusions expressed herein are a result of a collaborative process facilitated and endorsed by the World Economic Forum but whose results do not necessarily represent the views of the World Economic Forum, nor the entirety of its Members, Partners or other stakeholders.© 2024 World Economic Forum. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system.ContentsExecutive summary 3Introduction 41 A food-water stack for data-driven decision-making 62 Applications and use cases of the food-water stack 92.1 Country-based use cases for the food-water stack 92.2 Design components to strengthen data-readiness 143 The food-water stack as a public good: a roadmap to action 17Conclusion 19Contributors 20Endnotes 22Food and Water Systems in the Intelligent Age2
Executive summary Food systems represent 72% of water withdrawals worldwide. Current production and consumption trends are not sustainable, as global food production is projected to increase by 70%, intensifying pressure on already-stressed water resources. Connecting data from food and water systems is essential for scaling sustainable interventions in these interlinked areas. While several frameworks recognize the overlap between datasets, integrating them to create a platform for robust decision-making remains a challenge. This white paper outlines connections between water and food, the impacts of aggregated data, the role of artificial intelligence (AI) and a data stack framework to inform and improve decision making. This approach can also promote collaboration between stakeholders and spur innovation within the interlinked systems. The successful application of the food-water stack framework requires a diverse set of data sources – captured manually or through technologies such as remote sensing and internet of things (IoT) – and includes macro-level information such as water availability, weather forecasts, salinity levels and land use patterns. The data is assessed in combination with information about the physical infrastructure in a location, and the technology available to create an analysis that can then be distilled and communicated to the relevant stakeholders through tools like AI chatbots. The white paper outlines three cases that illustrate how the stack framework can bring together stakeholders for more sustainable management of water resources.The food-water stack, at scale, offers an opportunity to elevate the role of water as an impact multiplier in food (to the same...
