Our changing climate, escalating water demands from non-agricultural sectors, and depletion of groundwater sources by agricultural use are immediate challenges that call for the urgent need to explore and adopt safe, alternative irrigation strategies to sustain food production across the U.S. As a result, water reuse and the exploration of nontraditional irrigation sources have become national priorities with regard to agricultural water security and the sustainable production of our food supply. At the same time, the recent Food Safety Modernization Act is shifting the focus of food safety from responding to contamination to preventing it. This emphasis towards the prevention of foodborne illnesses places great responsibility on agricultural producers, who must meet stricter guidelines with regard to the quality of irrigation water used on food crops. Hence, at this critical juncture in food production, sustainable on-farm solutions are needed to enable agricultural producers to conserve groundwater and adopt safe and innovative approaches to irrigation. The development of strategies to enable the microbiological, chemical, and physical safety of recycled water will enable food production to thrive despite our erratic climate. However, successful implementation of water reuse strategies will depend not only upon scientific advances in technology to assure the safety of recycled water, but also upon acceptance and support from growers, consumers, and regulatory agencies. This symposium will bring together speakers who will describe a complex global picture of the potential for recycled water to become a more commonly accepted and used source for irrigation of crops. As we move into a time of increasing water scarcity and inconsistency, a shift in water use strategies will be essential to sustain food production in arable land across the nation.

Presentations