Groundwater use and irrigated agriculture in California

Future global food demand will likely require an increase in irrigated agricultural production worldwide given that irrigated land is three times more productive than non-irrigated land (Anderson et al., 1997; Postel, 2000; Rosegrant et al., 2001). More irrigated production will require additional water, possibly 30 percent more than current use to meet global food production by 2025 (Shiklomanov, 1999). While both surface water and groundwater supplies contribute to meeting irrigated agricultural demands, each confronts challenges in terms of meeting future water demand.