Global Harvests, Food and Water Security - 2012

As we enter the first few weeks of September, I have been gleefully informed that Christmas is only one hundred days away. We know that this is a period for global gobbling with the American Thanksgiving feast and Christmas Day. But dare we ask the question, how have the global harvests fared this year?

The Farmer's Weekly harvest round up page notes that, as of today (12th of September 2012):

• The harvest is between 70-80% complete in the South West and has only just started (07/09/12) in Caithness, Scotland.
• This year's conditions have been summarised here and entail droughts in Spring, one of the wettest summers in 100 years and decreased sunshine hours has led to "a poor grain fill" and increased susceptibility to attacks from aphids in autumn 2011 and spring 2012 to disease infestations of brown rust, late fusarium, septoria and yellow rust.
• The Farmer's Weekly reports (11/09/12) that drilling has already started in some parts of the country.

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported on the 27th of July 2012 that the global harvest predictions would be reduced due to the droughts in the Black Sea region and in the United States of America - the worst since 1956 in the USA - and the export market projections were not looking good for the aforementioned regions but it may spell opportunities for the grain producers who have done well. ABC reported that the world grain harvest for 2012/13 has been reduced to 1,640 million tonnes.

The International Grains Council published a report in August will tell you more.

So what has the global harvest of food got to do with water security? The Stockholm Water Initiative Water Week, that ended on the 31st of August 2012, helped to remind readers that "one third of the world's food is lost or wasted (1.3 billion tonnes per year), which equates to one quarter of global water use for irrigation".

• One litre of milk thrown away is 1,000 litres of water consumed by a cow to produce that milk.
• The UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) estimates that $1 trillion is needed for investment in irrigation technologies by 2050.

How has the harvest been with you and how are you dealing with either a lack or an excess of water?