Chapter 2: Exploring the Link Between Irrigated Agriculture and Food Security: Evidence from the Case of Spain

Irrigation plays a fundamental role in guaranteeing food security. Increasing food production to meet the growing future demands of the world population will require not only the expansion of the irrigated area (i.e., through the conversion of rainfed land) and better water availability (both in space and time), but also greater efficiency in the use of resources. Both drivers of growth require complex institutional and policy reforms, especially in those regions of the world with water scarcity problems. In the particular case of Spain, the growth of agricultural production as a guarantor of food security appears to lack the support of an increase in resources (i.e., land and water), but not that of an increase in agricultural productivity. The analysis carried out in this chapter has shown that the achievement of a higher production per unit of productive factor used (especially per unit of water used) has been decisive in maintaining the production of the Spanish agricultural sector.