Highlights:
- International agricultural trade relies on groundwater for irrigation in many places in the world.
- Increase of food exports has improved local and global food security.
- Current agricultural practices are mostly unsustainable and contribute to the severe degradation of groundwater.
- More robust water resource planning, management, and use are necessary.
- Water and energy data collection should be improved to inform use efficiency policies.
By Cecilia Tortajada and Francisco González-Gómez, 2022. Article published in Current Opinion in Environmental Science & Health, 27, 100354. DOI: 10.1016/j.coesh.2022.100354