Table 1 Projected demand for food and water, 2020 and 2050, average of three climate change scenarios

From: Ending groundwater overdraft without affecting food security

Commodity

Year

 

Sector

Year

 

2020

2050

% change

 

2020

2050

% change

Food demand (Mt)

Water demand (bcm)

  

Domestic demand

 

Animal-source foods

1,230

1,643

34

HICs

48

53

11

Food crops

9,290

13,050

40

LMICs

146

198

36

Meat products

322

439

36

World

193

252

30

Cereals

2,431

2,896

19

Industrial demand

  

 Maize

883

965

9

HICs

47

71

53

 Rice

471

523

11

LMICs

88

171

94

 Wheat

715

891

25

World

135

242

80

Other crops

94

121

29

Agricultural demanda

  

Fruits and vegetables

1947

2,963

52

HICs

265

288

9

Oilseed crops

869

1,350

55

LMICs

1,669

1,870

12

Pulses

79

123

56

World

1,933

2,158

12

Roots and tubers

890

1,146

29

Total demand

   

Sugar

207

312

51

World

2,261

2,652

17

  1. Source: Authors’ calculations based on IMPACT water–food model simulations. Values are averages of three climate simulation models—(1) Institut Pierre Simon Laplace (IPSL)53,54, (2) Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL) Earth systems model55 and (3) Hadley Centre Global Environmental Model global (HadGEM)56—using the representative concentration pathway (RCP) 8.5, which is the highest emissions scenario but reflects current policies.
  2. aLivestock water demand and irrigation water demand from surface and GW sources only (net of precipitation on irrigated and rainfed areas).