Water management for rainfed smallholder farming

This chapter aims to show how small-scale farmers can use water more efficiently, productively and sustainably in rainfed production. We will first discuss general aspects of how water use in crop and livestock production may be improved – measures that are important and useful in both rainfed as well as in irrigated agricultural production. Then we will focus specifically on rainfed agriculture and describe numerous practical options to help smallholder farmers use precipitation water more efficiently and productively. We will discuss ways of upgrading rainfed agricultural production and important broader issues regarding water and agriculture that have to be considered to assure that we will have enough water to feed the world in future.