Ahead of the UN Food Systems Summit, a first of its kind analysis by WWF finds that one-third of global food production is dependent on the world’s increasingly threatened rivers – undermining food security and our ability to sustainably feed 10 billion people by 2050.

The „Rivers of Food“ report outlines how rivers support four key components of global food production – irrigation, freshwater fisheries, deltas, and flood recession agriculture – and how all these critical parts of the food system are at growing risk due to the ongoing degradation of the world’s rivers. Such a holistic analysis of the critical role that rivers play in feeding humanity has never been done.

“Rivers are central to feeding the world now and in the future, yet protecting and restoring their health and resilience are not even on the periphery of debates about global food systems,” said Stuart Orr, WWF’s Global Freshwater Lead.

“Rivers have nourished us since the dawn of civilization and still do today, helping to feed billions of people - from indigenous communities to mega-cities. But river systems are under increasing stress and if we don’t take urgent steps to manage them better, we will not be able to sustainably feed everyone on Earth,” added Jeff Opperman, WWF Global Freshwater Lead Scientist and co-author of this study.

Rivers of Food shows that far more food is directly reliant on rivers than previously thought:

“Rivers are the arteries of the planet, flowing with water, sediments, and nutrients that nourish one-third of global food production, but ironically our unsustainable agricultural practices are one of the greatest threats to rivers – and all the food production they support,” said Joao Campari, WWF Global Food Leader.

Overlooked and undervalued, rivers are under increasing pressure across the world from overuse of water, overfishing, damming free-flowing rivers for hydropower, pollution, and climate change. Agriculture alone accounts for over 70% of all the freshwater used by people, while it is also the largest polluter of rivers and freshwater ecosystems – and a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation, and biodiversity loss.

Already, half of the world’s people live in areas that experience water stress, and 75% of the world’s irrigated crops are grown in water-stressed areas – figures that will only worsen as the world warms. Meanwhile, large free-flowing rivers are critical for the stability of deltas and survival of freshwater fisheries, but only one-third of long rivers remain free-flowing - and most of them are now threatened by planned hydropower.

The clearest sign of the damage we have done – and are still doing – to our rivers is the collapse in freshwater biodiversity. Over the past 50 years, we have lost 84% of our freshwater species populations – far greater than inland or marine ecosystems. Food systems are responsible for 50% of biodiversity loss in freshwater.

“If our rivers cannot sustain freshwater species, they will not be able to sustain us. Governments must agree to ambitious freshwater goals in the new global framework for nature – otherwise, we will all pay the price,” said Orr.

The world is waking up to the urgent need for healthier, more sustainable, and more equitable food systems since our current production and consumption practices are major drivers of climate change, nature loss, and rising hunger. We need to strengthen the resilience of our rivers systems by transforming food systems, ensuring sustainable wild fisheries and aquaculture, maintaining free-flowing rivers, and adopting healthy and sustainable diets – among other measures to protect and restore healthy rivers.