🚰 Agro Water

Welcome to Latinometrics. We bring you Latin American insights and trends through concise, thought-provoking data visualizations.

Water shapes everything in the modern world, from the rhythm of daily life to the growth of farms, cities, and industries. There is no more critical natural resource, especially as climate change and demographic shifts are expected to make water scarcity the defining issue of this century.

Yet what this water is used for will vary between different countries and territories. Interestingly, actual municipal use – think drinking water or plumbing – does not consume all that much overall: about 15% in Latin America. In most cases, over half of total consumption goes towards agriculture, with the only Latin American exceptions being El Salvador, Panama, and industry-heavy Puerto Rico.

This makes sense, given Latin America is one of the world’s breadbaskets. Soybeans, meat, and other agricultural goods from the region feed most of the other countries around the globe, meaning plenty of good, clean freshwater is needed.

Agriculture therefore plays a fundamental role in the search for sustainable water solutions. And there are ways that local communities, governments, and the private sector can work together to make agricultural water usage more efficient.

One such way is through intelligent regenerative agriculture, in which methods like crop rotation help maintain soil health and ensure the land is used in a sustainable way. In addition, farmers and civil society can maintain a focus on intelligent irrigation management through technology.

Through ideas like these, Latin America’s farmers and citizens can play their part in keeping the world healthy and nourished—all while maintaining the region’s water resources for generations to come.

Our partner in this story, Kilimo, is pioneering a Water-Positive future by delivering innovative solutions and forging strategic alliances across the agriculture sector.

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