Two of Argentina's key farming regions have modernised strategic irrigation systems so that water is used more efficiently, under a World Bank-supported programme that manages risk across the country's rural agrifood system. In the south of Córdoba province a new aqueduct has given producers reliable water and recovered 50,000 productive hectares, and in the Río Negro Valley, an export hub for apples, pears and nuts, new irrigation works have let production expand across 4,000 hectares.

The investments were made under the Integrated Risk Management Program for the Rural Agrifood System, known as GIRSAR, which the World Bank supports. The programme's purpose is to manage risk in rural agribusiness throughout Argentina, and water is at the centre of it.

In southern Córdoba, the Livestock Aqueduct of the Roque Sáenz Peña Department has transformed thousands of hectares between Laboulaye and General Levalle. By securing quality water in areas that have long been vulnerable, the work protects livestock farming against climate risks and stabilises livelihoods in communities such as La Providencia, La Ramada and Santa Ana. With reliable water, 128 producers will be able to double their stocking rates and improve the metabolic efficiency of their herds, reducing livestock mortality.

In the Río Negro lower valley, the irrigation system of the Lower Valley Development Institute (IDEVI) has been fully modernised after more than fifty years in operation. It is designed to deliver water on time and reliably to the 500 farms around the city of Viedma, an area recognised as Argentina's leading producer of hazelnuts. Works began two years ago to line a critical section of the main canal, replace and mechanise the gates and install sensors that measure water flow, and farming practices were improved alongside the engineering so that future production models are sustainable.

The projects fit the argument of a new World Bank Group report, Nourish and Flourish: Water Solutions to Feed 10 Billion People on a Livable Planet. The report finds that the world does not necessarily face a water shortage but a severe imbalance: some regions are depleting their aquifers while others have water and need smarter decisions to use it well. If water use is rebalanced, the report says, the world can feed 10 billion people by 2050 and generate 245 million jobs in the process.

For a small or medium producer in either province, the change is practical. A rancher in Roque Sáenz Peña can carry more animals on the same land with fewer losses, and a grower in Viedma can open the gate knowing there will be enough water for the crop, which is what stabilises a family's income and a community's food supply.

Source: World Bank