Nourishing a healthy future: The role of irrigation in a changing world

Hamilton, Christine; Lefore, Nicole; Ringler, Claudia; and Barron, Jennie. 2025. Nourishing a healthy future: The role of irrigation in a changing world. Irrigation Today Editorial. Irrigation Association. https://irrigationtoday.org/features/nourishing-a-healthy-future-the-role-of-irrigation-in-a-changing-world/

The 2025 lecture, delivered by Claudia Ringler, PhD, explored the critical role of irrigation in advancing global food security — a timely topic given Nebraska’s leadership in irrigation innovation. With changing weather patterns and growing demand for water resources, smart irrigation technologies are becoming a game-changer in securing food and better diets. Such innovations are critical amid nutrition and health crises.

Following decades of improvements, food security has declined since 2014. The number of hungry people has surpassed 700 million, and good nutrition is out of reach for more than a third of humanity who cannot afford the quantity and variety of foods needed for a healthy life. Particularly fruits, vegetables and animal-source foods remain unaffordable to most people in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Globally, 22% of children are stunted largely because they lack sufficient quality food and water.

In the U.S., food insecurity is also on the rise. U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) food security data for 2023 show that 13.5% of U.S. households were food insecure, up from 12.8% in 2022. Moreover, the energy-rich, nutrient-poor diets consumed in many households are associated with cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and other diseases, according to research from Oregon State University.