New Cambridge Sustainability Commission on Water for Food Futures

Cambridge University Press has launched a new Cambridge Sustainability Commission on Water For Food Futures. The latest initiative is funded by the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and the Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute (DWFI) with the results then published in Cambridge’s journal Global Sustainability.

The Commission on Water for Food Futures (CWFF) aims to address the pressing challenges of balancing water security and food security over the next 15 years. 

Dr Mark Smith, Director General at the International Water Management Institute, spoke about the importance of the CWFF’s mission.

“We fail on future water security and food security without science and innovation,” said Dr Smith.

“The Commission on Water for Food Futures will help us, instead, to succeed – by using science and evidence to build a future-facing agenda for water and food systems that is fit for the complex, uncertain and rapidly changing world of tomorrow.”

The Commission will build upon the recent report from the Global Commission on the Economics of Water, which calls for the “launch of a new revolution in food systems”. This revolution requires a fundamental shift not simply in water management, but in how we produce food to meet a growing global population while also preserving our planet's resources. The CWFF aims to translate the GCEW's core principles into practical, grounded recommendations for balancing water security and food security by 2040.  

The CWFF will also build upon the collective missions stemming from the Transformative Futures for Water Security dialogue, which was a bottom-up led process to capture the priorities of more than 1000 water or food stakeholders, and 440 institutions across the Global South.

Integrating evidence and inputs from commissioners, subject matter experts and stakeholders from across the globe, the CWFF will produce a high-level report which will be launched in 2027. Sign up here to be notified when the report becomes available and to receive important updates.

The CWFF represents a pivotal step in assessing the current and future states of science and policy to enhance water security for food security, and will seek to provide a comprehensive framework for understanding and addressing the multifaceted challenges at the intersection of water and food systems. Drawing on a wide range of expertise and evidence, the CWFF will identify and highlight emerging innovations and actionable solutions that address future needs, proposing solutions that connect different scales - from local farms and river basins to national and global policies - providing guidance for practitioners, investors, and policymakers to drive conversation and guide strategic thinking towards a just transition in both water and food systems.

Dr Ismahane Elouafi, Executive Managing Director at CGIAR, emphasised the importance of balancing a just food transition alongside a just water transition.

“In many regions, balancing food and water security has become more challenging than ever,” said Dr Elouafi. “This new Commission, led by the International Water Management Institute and CGIAR, will unite evidence, insights from commissioners, key experts, and young professionals to drive collective action, investment, and innovative solutions to tackle one of the world’s most pressing challenges: water scarcity.”

A Cambridge Sustainability Commission (CSC) is a scientific assessment of any global sustainability issue about planetary and societal resilience, or any solutions for societal transformations. A CSC exists to answer specific research questions on the themes of global sustainability, and to do so by identifying, appraising and synthesising relevant evidence-based natural and social science expertise.

All CSCs are approved by the Editorial leadership of the journal Global Sustainability at the project proposal stage before they can "come to life".

Sign up to receive updates on the Cambridge Water for Food Futures: 

https://go.unl.edu/cwffupdate