Episode 38 - Irrigation expansion’s varying impacts on nutrition

Irrigation expansion can provide the water necessary to increase food production for our growing world. It can also be a means for moving farmers from simply producing enough food for their families to generating more income through domestic markets or export of additional production.

However, increasing use of irrigation can have varying impacts on the nutrition of the local communities and it’s important to consider these costs and benefits when striving to reduce poverty, end hunger and protect our water resources.

In this episode of the Water for Food Podcast, DWFI Director of Communications and Public Relations Frances Hayes talks with experts in irrigation and nutrition as they dive into the interconnectedness of irrigation, water availability and nutrition. Guests include Dr. Piyush Mehta and Assistant Professor Dr. Kyle Davis, both in the Department of Geography & Spatial Sciences at the University of Delaware.

View the research mentioned in the episode here.

ILIMS Deputy Director Jude Cobbing - Opportunities of Irrigation and Mechanization

In November 2023, the Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute announced a new USAID Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Irrigation and Mechanization Systems (ILIMS). ILIMS enhances global food security by generating research-based solutions to support the growth of vibrant irrigation and mechanization markets; develops strong institutions and local capacity for their sustainability; and fosters opportunities for equitable access for smallholder farmers.

In this episode, DWFI Communications Specialist Arianna Elnes speaks with the new ILIMS Deputy Director Jude Cobbing about his background and interest in ILIMS, the opportunities he sees with irrigation and mechanization, and upcoming projects for ILIMS. For more information, and to respond to RFA’s, visit: waterforfood.nebraska.edu/irrigandmech