The area of water for food is growing in importance and no organization exists
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nationally or internationally to focus exclusively on this issue. Nebraska is an ideal place for such an organization, and it is an opportune time to establish this institute.
The institute’s core mission should be to address the question:
• How can we
produce more food per unit of water? The answer must be broadly construed and interdisciplinary – to develop, promote and disseminate the application of science, technology, education, policy and human behavior research to this problem.
The institute’s name must reflect the core mission, water for food.
•
The right leader (executive director) is critical. The ideal director is someone with
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broad international experience and connectivity, who has drive and a sense of mission, and is able to raise funds. He or she can’t be wedded to one group and must be able to bridge disciplines. The executive director’s major role will be establishing the institute and promoting it to the international water and food communities, establishing partnerships and pursuing opportunities.
Partnerships are critical. The institute must partner with and can serve as a
•
central link for many organizations – other universities, governmental agencies, nongovernmental organizations, foundations and private sector organizations nationally and internationally.
The institute should have a global vision and pragmatic international strategy,
•
Group 1
providing science-based approaches to state, regional, national and international challenges.
The research should bridge basic and applied research, and action/practice, with
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an emphasis on developing practical applications based on the best science and engineering.
Development of cooperative research programs with other universities and
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international organizations should be a core component.
The institute should actively learn from others who have been working in the
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international water arena for decades.
The research should focus both on rainfed and irrigated agriculture.
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The institute should not be a development organization but rather an institute to
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develop and deliver knowledge (research, data, policy analysis, education) to inform development.
A key focus should be knowledge transfer and delivery of the institute’s products
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(data, research, technologies, tools, policy analysis, education) to the world and bringing in the knowledge of others.
Agricultural production is a multi-dimensional, multi-scale system, the management
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of which requires research not only on water, seeds and fertilizers, but also the human dimensions. How people interact with and influence the system should be a focus.
The institute should pursue a holistic approach that looks at river basin-wide
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hydrology, with an understanding that agriculture is an interacting component of a larger ecosystem.
Suggested research areas
Define and maximize the productivity of water (quality, timing, place) for the
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purposes of producing food.
Utilize molecular biology and plant breeding research to develop food crops that
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produce greater yields and nutrition per unit of water.
Conduct studies of the transportation, marketing and financial infrastructure for
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water (water economics).
Promote improved cropping systems and production practices to respond to a highly
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variable water supply in both irrigated and rainfed agriculture.
Adapt and improve irrigation systems for smallholder and medium-sized farms.
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Develop innovative decision-support systems that provide easily accessible,
science-•
based information to managers, decision-makers, policymakers and the general public.
Suggested policy focus areas
Develop and disseminate analyses of applicable water management policies, dealing
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with the challenges of complexity, lack of institutional capabilities and competing needs.
Contribute research on the best ways to develop and evaluate policy.
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Develop a protocol for assessing sustainable food security economies; assess
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sustainability and help people determine food security needs within the context of water resources and constraints.
Nebraska’s experience with natural resources district management and integrated
•
planning can serve as a model for managing water resources elsewhere.
Suggested emphases for knowledge delivery/education
Create an Institute Fellows program that provides fellowships in the institute’s
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focus areas. Fellows will broaden the institute’s expertise and provide knowledge enrichment (seminars, presentations, etc.) at the University of Nebraska and to academic and conference settings globally, becoming ambassadors for the institute and its programs.
The institute should provide higher education and training through faculty and
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student exchange programs, nationally and internationally.
Develop a Water for Food Web portal that links globally to information on this area
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and establishes the institute as a major information source.
Group 2
Group 1
Mogens C. Bay Bert Clemmens Marshall English Terry A. Howell Brian A. Larkins Thomas Trout Ron Yoder
Facilitator: Sandra Zellmer Recorder: Noah Clayton
Group 2
Marc Andreini Richard J. Hoffmann Suat Irmak
Ramesh Kanwar Peter G. McCornick Sandra L. Postel Anthony Schutz Facilitator: Sheri Fritz Recorder: Ashley Washburn
Group 3
Mohamed Dahab James Goeke Simi Sadaf Kamal Derrel L. Martin E. Robert Meaney Monica Norby Peter Rogers Richard Snyder
Facilitator: Kenneth G. Cassman Recorder: Lorrie Benson
Group 4
Brian P. Dunnigan Bruce Dvorak Karina Schoengold Barry I. Shapiro Donald L. Suarez Otto Szolosi Alan J. Tomkins
Facilitator: Mark R. Gustafson Recorder: Maureen Moseman
Group 6 Group 4
Group 5
Kyle D. Hoagland Christopher Lant Judith C.N. Lungu Mark F. Madison Sarah Michaels Robert B. Swanson Vincent Vadez
Facilitator: Donald A. Wilhite Recorder: Elizabeth Banset
Group 6
Richard G. Allen James E. Ayars Mohamed Bazza Eugene Glock Daniel Gustafson Sally Mackenzie A. Dan Tarlock
Facilitator: Steve Goddard Recorder: Sara Trickie
Group 3
Len Adams Organization of the United Nations
Clarence L. Castner University of Nebraska Organization of the United Nations
Mark R. Gustafson UNL