Increase Food Production Research Articles

Effects of vegetable commercialization on household food security: a generalized propensity score matching approach

ABSTRACT The commercialization of smallholder farmers is seen as the most significant driver of improved food security and household welfare in most countries with low-agricultural economies. This study used a Generalized Propensity Score Matching (GPSM) approach to evaluate the average causal effects of vegetable commercialization levels on the food security status of households in Sabbata Hawas Woreda, Oromia Region, Ethiopia. Data were collected through surveys of 385 farm households, key informant interviews, focus group discussions, and observations. The results revealed that vegetable commercialization had both positive and negative effects on households’ food security. The MAHFP increased steadily as the levels of commercialization increased. However, the lower levels of commercialization are associated with negative outcomes for calorie intake, food consumption scores, and household dietary diversity scores. The caloric intake, HDDS, and FCS were improved after commercialization levels reached 50%, 40%, and 25% respectively. The findings indicate that an increase in commercialization may not always lead to consistent increases across all indicators of food security and it has heterogeneous effects on households with different levels of commercialization. The subsequent policy recommendations of the study results are that, even though smallholder commercialization strategies are crucial for ensuring increased food production, productivity, and incomes for food security, it still requires taking into account the heterogeneous food security effects of vegetable commercialization levels.

PURCHASE BEHAVIOUR OF PADDY FARMERS TOWARDS HYBRID PADDY SEEDS IN DHARAMPUR TALUKA OF VALSAD DISTRICT

Seed is the initial point of cropping cycle. Seeds play a vital role in agriculture and the seeds industry is rapidly growing due to the rising demand for increased food production and high quality seeds. The primary aim of this study was to explore the purchase behaviour of farmers regarding hybrid paddy seeds. To fulfill the objective descriptive research design was adopted with Multi-stage sampling method. Initially, Dharampur taluka was purposefully selected from 6 talukas in Valsad district. In the next stage, 10 villages were randomly selected within Dharampur taluka. Finally, 10 paddy farmers were conveniently selected from each village, resulting in a total sample size of 100 farmers. The structured interview schedule was used to collect the primary data from farmers. The collected data was analyzed with the help of statistical tools as simple percentage analysis, weighted average mean, rating scale, etc. The study found that most farmers (56%) were belonged to 41 to 50 year age group, primarily had secondary education (45%) and commonly combined farming with animal husbandry (58%). Most of the farmers (56%) owned small, fragmented land under 1 hectare. Hybrid paddy seed purchase was influenced by past experience and product benefits. KEY WORDS: Socio-economic profile, Purchase behaviour, Paddy farmers, Hybrid paddy seeds, Valsad district

AfroPALM - Afrocentric Palm oil Adulteration Learning Models: an End-to-end Deep Learning Approach for Detection of Palm Oil Adulteration

In Africa, rapid population growth and a focus on increasing food production have often overlooked the crucial aspect of food safety, leading to the highest per capita incidences of foodborne illness globally. This underscores the imperative to address the food safety challenges on the continent. A critical concern is the widespread adulteration of red palm oil across West Africa, often involving harmful red azo dyes, posing significant health risks. Current detection methods, reliant on laboratory procedures, are not only time-consuming and expensive but also impractical for broad implementation in local markets. To address these limitations, we propose an end-to-end deep learning approach that bypasses the need for manual feature extraction and laboratory-based analyses. Utilizing high- resolution imaging technology, our approach can objectively and reliably detect palm oil adulteration directly from raw image data. In our study, we developed a deep convolutional neural network dubbed AfroPALM-Custom, specifically designed for detecting palm oil adulteration in African markets. AfroPALM-Custom was pivotal in refining our deep learning approach, achieving a test accuracy of 90.63% and an F1 score of 90.98%. We later adapted mobile-efficient pretrained models, namely SqueezeNet1.1 and GhostNetV1—mobile—fine-tuned and as well dubbed AfroPALM-GhostNet and AfroPALM-SqueezeNet. In performance, AfroPALM-GhostNet and AfroPALM-SqueezeNet achieved test accuracies of 96.29% and 91.16%, respectively, and F1-scores of 96.57% and 91.95%. This proficiency in identifying adulterated palm oil demonstrates a significant advancement in food safety solutions for African markets, offering a practical and scalable approach for implementation within local marketplaces where resources are limited and laboratory methods are impractical.© 2001 Elsevier Science. All rights reserved

Improving Water Productivity in Irrigated Agriculture: A Review of Techniques and Water Conservation Methods in Ethiopia

Water is a scarce resource and the competition for it is increasing from time to time due to population growth and economic status change. The population growth leads to high expectations to produce more food from irrigated agriculture which could not be satisfied by rain-fed conditions. As irrigated agriculture is by far the largest water consumer in an inefficient way, improving water productivity has paramount importance both for the production of more food and for wise utilization of scarce water. Beyond these, studies suggest that improving water productivity in Ethiopia contributes to an increase in the irrigated area, reduced competition, and conflict between users, increased profitability due to reduced labor cost, water pumping and working time, and generally increased food production. Different water productivity improvement techniques and water conservation methods have been tested in different parts of the country. These include improving the performance of irrigation schemes, regulated deficit irrigation practice, partial root zone drying, application of irrigation on selected crop growth stages, supplementary irrigation, drip irrigation, surge and cutback irrigation, and water conservation methods like mulching and integrating irrigation with conservation agriculture. The level of water productivity improvement varies considerably for different methods, study areas, crop types, and seasons. Generally, more studies concentrated on deficit irrigation and irrigation application at different crop growth stages. Water conservation and integration of cultivation practices with efficient irrigation led to an improvement in water productivity. Despite few studies, scheme-level study results suggest that the level of deficit irrigation should be selected based on the available irrigation water and cultivable land area for maximizing the benefit of the scheme. According to the economic profitability, crop types and crop varieties also should be selected for production with site-specific conditions. Despite different types and levels of reduced irrigation leading to lower crop yield, the inclusion of the economic importance is essential as most crops showed higher water productivity at lower irrigation levels. On the other hand, studies on the integration of different water productivity enhancement techniques and crop planting patterns are minimal in the country, though current studies revealed better water productivity. Moreover, basin-level water productivity improvement studies could contribute to alleviating water competition and increasing irrigated areas. Therefore, studies on the optimization of these different methods could be done at the basin level for better water resource utilization. Government policies should also focus on water productivity improvement for the implementation of research findings.

The relevance of agriculture in Brazilian GDP and new technologies in agriculture

The growth of the world population in recent decades has created the need to increase food production, and this growing demand generates the need for greater efficiency and productivity in agriculture. Thus, countries that want to be competitive in the agricultural sector need to introduce technological improvements in order to reduce costs and increase the yield of agricultural activity. In this paper, we highlight the importance of the agricultural sector in Brazil’s GDP and present some examples of new technologies, mainly based on semiconductor devices, applied to the agricultural sector.

An Improved Reptile Search Algorithm with Multiscale Adaptive Deep Learning Technique and Atrous Spatial Pyramid Pooling for IoT-based Smart Agriculture Management

Smart farming is an enhanced option for increasing food production, resource management and labour. Existing prediction methods need trained experts to analyse the data, which is a time-consuming process, and thus, there is a need for smart farming with the Internet of Things (IoT). Hence, a well-developed IoT-assisted smart agriculture model is proposed for managing agricultural needs to improve the economic value of farmers. The proposed framework constitutes four major aspects like Crop prediction, Crop yield prediction, Plant disease prediction and Smart irrigation. Initially, the crop images are taken as the input and fed to the Multi-scale Adaptive and Attention-based Convolution Neural Network with Atrous Spatial Pyramid Pooling (MACNN-ASPP), where the dissimilar crops are classified and obtained. In the second aspect, the crop image as well as crop-related data, are fetched from the data sources and given as input. Further, the deep features of the image are extracted that are added with soil and environment condition data. Then this feature is subjected to the Multi-scale Adaptive and Attention-based One-Dimensional Convolution Neural Network with Atrous Spatial Pyramid Pooling (MA1DCNN-ASPP) for crop yield prediction. While in the third aspect, the leaf images are assembled from the data file and fed as input to the MACNN-ASPP for detecting the variety of diseases affecting the plants. In the final aspect, smart irrigation is done by collecting field images with related data. Further, the deep features retrieved from the field images are applied to MA1DCNN-ASPP, where the different conditions of the field will be attained. In order to develop the model adaptively, the hyper-parameters in the network are optimised using the Improved Reptile Search Algorithm (IRSA). Finally, the investigation is done over the proposed methodology using multiple evaluation metrics. In contrast with other approaches, the proposed smart agriculture outperforms the performance of managing crops without any hazardous effects. Accuracy validation executed in the implemented IRSA-MACNN-ASSP-based crop yield prediction model accomplished better efficiency as 6.89%, 4.45%, 2.19% and 1.08% better than the classical techniques like CNN, LSTM, 1DCNN and MA1DCNN-ASPP.

Assessing the Impact of Productive Safety Net Program on Soil and Water Conservation Practices in the Amhara Sayint Woreda, Ethiopia

Land degradation is a critical issue in Ethiopia, exacerbating food insecurity by reducing agricultural productivity. Soil and water conservation (SWC) practices are essential to control erosion and increase food production. However, there is a lack of comprehensive evaluations on the impact of Ethiopia’s Productive Safety Net Program (PSNP) on SWC practices. This study aimed to assess the contribution of the PSNP to SWC in the Amhara Sayint Woreda. The researchers used a mixed-method approach, combining quantitative and qualitative data. Multistage sampling was used to select households, and data were collected through questionnaires, interviews, focus groups, and observations. The study provided empirical evidence that the PSNP has a positive impact on SWC practices. Key factors influencing SWC participation include age, family size, education, plot size, livestock ownership, credit service, and access to extension services. The results suggest that the PSNP should improve payment for public work participants implementing SWC, undertake institutional reform, and increase public awareness of the benefits of SWC in reversing land degradation and improving food security. This study uniquely contributes to the understanding of how the PSNP influences the varying degrees of participation in SWC practices, filling a critical research gap. The findings can inform policymakers and program managers to enhance the PSNP’s effectiveness in promoting sustainable land management and food security in Ethiopia.

Delimitation of Differentiated Management Units (DMUs) based on productivity maps, slope maps and vegetation indices

According to several projections, the planet's demographic density will continue to increase in the coming decades, a fact that makes it necessary to increase food production to meet population demand. However, there are factors that can make it difficult to achieve production goals, such as the high cost of inputs. Therefore, aiming to increase productivity and reduce costs through optimizing the use of resources and the area available for production, it is necessary to implement alternatives to traditional production control methods. In this aspect, precision agriculture stands out. For precision agriculture to be applied to crops, it is first necessary to observe the spatial and temporal variability of the area, through georeferenced data on the attributes that involve the production system. The correlation of these attributes can indicate sub-regions within the production areas that can receive homogeneous treatment; these fractions of the area can also be called Differentiated Management Units (DMUs). Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the viability of DMU delimitations using data on productivity, slope and vegetation indices, referring to the 2020 harvest for corn cultivation. To this end, geoprocessing of the data obtained using the QGIS software was carried out, so that 3 DMUs were generated for the area evaluated in the study. Thus, the DMUs were compared with the 2021 corn harvest. The results show that the DMUs, produced with data from the 2020 corn harvest, delimited regions with different productivity data in the 2021 harvest, indicating that the possibility of obtaining better parameters in production if differentiated management were carried out in the field, and such planning can be carried out based on the assessments that DMUs allow to be carried out.

Can technology in terms of finance, environment, and communication boost food production while facilitating a low-carbon transition? Evidence from a high-tech and low-tech state

The need to revamp the food system to combat climate change is growing. This initiative faces a major challenge: redesigning the agricultural system to increase food production (FOP) and attain sustainable development objectives simultaneously. Information and communication technologies (ICT), financial innovations, and environmental technology define a global community of shared futures, making it essential to consider whether these technologies can equally “enhance food production and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions” in agriculture in high-tech and low-tech states. The study examined the direct and indirect effects of these technologies on food production in China and Nigeria using the ARDL model. We controlled for climate factors such as precipitation, agricultural emissions, and temperature, plus agricultural factors like fertilizer consumption and land use. The findings indicate the following: 1) Financial innovation has a dual effect of increasing food production and decreasing agricultural emissions in both states. 2) Environmental technology lessens agricultural emissions in China but confirmed a dual role in Nigeria. 3) ICT directly increases (decreases) food production in China (Nigeria) as well as harms environmental quality in both states. The study found positive impact of land use, fertilizer consumption, and temperature on food production. Moreover, causality outcomes confirm the agricultural sector's environmental impact. To promote sustainable agriculture, the research suggested government and financial institutions lease agriculture machinery and offer internet based interest-free financing.

Utilisation of Cow Faeces as a Base Material to Making Bokashi Fertiliser to Increase Farmers Income in Balai Hamlet, Taram Village, Harau District

The application of technology in agriculture aims to increase food production through the substitution of traditional farming systems with modern farming systems by utilising more advanced technology. This has an impact on the use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides, which can cause environmental damage and ultimately reduce agricultural productivity. Processing cow dung into organic fertiliser for crops is an applied technology in the framework of implementing zero waste farming technology. One of the benefits that can be obtained is increased income by reducing the cost of artificial fertiliser needs. Cow faeces as cattle farming waste has not been optimally utilised. Cow faeces are usually piled up by farmers behind or near the cowshed, causing a strong smell (air pollution). The results of the activity of making cow feces bokashi organic fertiliser are very beneficial for farmers as a substitute for inorganic fertiliser; The creation of clean cowshed conditions, and environmentally friendly rice fields.

Seeking sustainable efficient global agricultural production with nexus approach

This study aims to estimate the shadow prices of water and carbon dioxide (CO2) in global agriculture under three scenarios: pursuing economic efficiency, sustainable development goals (SDGs), and environmental protection. It assesses the social cost of environmental impacts compared to actual prices. This study also evaluates substitutability among water, labor, and capital in the three scenarios for developing relevant agricultural policies depending on distinct agricultural conditions. Social costs tend to be underestimated because they are not directly observed. Our society has faced an overproduction of agriculture in terms of CO2 emissions and the exploitation of water. This study employs a method of a directional technology distance function for global agricultural production based on Food and Agriculture Organization data on agricultural inputs and outputs. The following three critical findings were obtained: First, the average shadow price of water under the economic scenario was close to the current actual water prices, and water prices would increase if agricultural production accomplished the three SDGs (Goal 2, 6, and 13). Second, labor is substituted for water under the environmental scenario because water prices increase rapidly. In contrast, water is complementary to labor under the SDGs scenario, implying that labor becomes more important for increasing food production. Third, the current CO2 prices are lower than those in the economic scenario. These values are significantly lower than those under the SDGs and environmental scenarios. Based on these results, we conclude that agricultural products are often undervalued because the appropriate value of water is overlooked in real markets. The contribution to reducing CO2 in agriculture is insufficient, owing to current low carbon taxes.

Embracing Nature's Clockwork: Crafting Plastics for Degradation in Plant Agricultural Systems.

In the 21st century, global agriculture confronts the urgent challenge of increasing food production by 70% by 2050 while simultaneously addressing environmental and health concerns. Plastics, integral to agricultural innovation, present sustainability challenges due to their non-biodegradable nature and contribution to pollution. This perspective examines the transition to bioplastics, emphasizing their bio-based origin and their crucial characteristic of being readily biodegradable in the soil. Key bioplastics such as poly(lactic acid) (PLA), polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), and biomass-derived polymers are discussed, particularly regarding the microplastic generation in soil resulting from their use in specific applications like mulch films, delivery systems, and soil conditioners. Embracing bioplastics signifies a significant step forward in achieving sustainable agriculture and addressing plastic waste. However, it is highlighted that while some bioplastics can be recovered and recycled, special applications where the plastic is in intimate contact with soil pose challenges for recovery. In these cases, that represent more than the 50% of plastics used in agriculture, meticulous design for biodegradation in soil synchronized with agricultural cycles is necessary. This approach ensures minimal environmental impact and promotes a circular approach to plastic use in agriculture.

Growing improved crops and social justice: A contextualisation of ubuntu principles for smallholder farmers

Improved crops are being promoted in many de­veloping countries to increase food production and realise economic benefits associated with them. The changes in farm­ing being introduced are affecting the social values in food production. The paper examines how the new crops affect the Ubuntu values important for the realisation of social justice of smallholder farmers. The study used mixed methods case study utilising a questionnaire, focus group discussion, and in-depth interviews. Three themes were the main focus with regard to Ubuntu as an analytic lens for social justice concerns of smallholder farmers: access to land, crops, labour and gar­dening, and food access and distribution. The findings show that Ubuntu values are being stifled with the commoditisation of farming processes and systems. At the same time, individ­ualism associated with growing improved crops is threaten­ing food access and distribution, as Ubuntu values of interde­pendence, solidarity, unity, compassion, empathy, and to­getherness no longer influence processes in food systems. The results suggest the need for the incorporation and recognition of the values of Ubuntu/Obuntu Bulamu in promoting im­proved crops. This will contribute to addressing smallholder farmers' social justice concerns.

Urban Agriculture and Food Security in Development Planning

With the world population anticipated to reach over nine billion in 2050, and the majority of whom will live in cities, feeding a predominantly urban population will pose additional challenges to a predominantly rural-based agrifood system. Further, with the focus of economic activity being centered in cities, a development question is whether agriculture in cities should be an integral part of national planning. This is particularly when food insecurity is expected to challenge the poor in cities much more than in the countryside. Urban and peri-urban agriculture has been practiced in many parts of the world through activities ranging from community gardens to commercial farms of varying sizes. A major change, accelerated by supply chain disruptions and the COVID-19 pandemic in the early 2020s, has been the rapid development of technologies (digital, physical, biotechnological) that increases food production capabilities in urban areas and provide economic opportunity for entrepreneurship. Additionally, sizable investments from private equity have seen sophisticated food production facilities, such as indoor vertical vegetable and fish farms and precision fermentation factories, produce novel food such as alternative proteins in city spaces. Apart from the economic and food security benefits arising from urban agriculture, environmental and social benefits have also been demonstrated in cities that have adopted a clear mandate to become “green” and reduce their carbon footprints. This paper provides a background on urban farming, its justification as a worthwhile activity, and the rationale for explicitly including urban agriculture in national planning.

Climate Change Causes Food Insecurity for Developing Countries

At the moment, climate change is one of the most urgent issue worldwide. This is due to long-term climate trends and changes in social lifestyle. Another reason is the greenhouse gases produced by excessive fuel use. The intensity of weather, the decline in human health, and the devastation of natural ecosystems are all contributing factors. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) suggests controlling the avaeage temperate rise at 1.5 degrees Celsius to reduce global warming's intensity. The three major green house gasses responsible for global warming are carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) emitted from burning fossil fuels. Climate change is affecting the entire world, but poor and developing countries are suffering the most. The effects of climate change are all-encompassing. It affects agriculture, human health and crop productivity. A decrease have been observed in maize and wheat production in worst cases of climate change. This deficiency can lead to a food crisis. Poor and developing countries do not have the necessary resources to cope with the situation. They can't mould themselves quickly enough. Due to the lack of resources, they cannot discover new seeds to increase food production and are unable to improve their irrigation system. Climate change and rising temperatures contribute to the rapid growth of harmful bacteria and pathogens. These microbes have become a source of food contamination. Changes in rainfall patterns is also an important issue that affects the agricultural sector and the quality of irrigation water used. The risk of water pollution also increases. The gases produced from food waste, like greenhouse gases, are also harmful. Food waste in neighbourhoods releases methane gas, harming the environment. Commodity shortage and rising prices are major problems for people in poor and developing countries. The best strategy to deal with all these problems is to find new methods for agriculture that cope with climate change. To solve all these problems, government and international organizations should come forward and work together to help poor nations.

The food production–consumption chain: Fighting food insecurity, loss, and waste with technology

The UN’s Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12 seeks to achieve sustainable food production and consumption, including reduced food loss and waste; SDG 2 proposes the goal of zero hunger. In pursuit of these goals, technology arguably has a central role, at every level of the food value chain. To establish this role, the authors identify and examine current technologies aimed at increasing food production and suitably redistributing unused food, as tactics to combat food loss and waste, with the shared end goal of reducing food insecurity. A proposed 2 × 2 typology illustrates how existing technologies can influence food production, distribution, and consumption, as well as influence the stakeholders in the food production–consumption chain. These insights also inform a research and development agenda pertaining to the need for technology applications that can increase food production and/or reduce food waste effectively enough to achieve the goal of zero hunger.

Transcriptome Profiling and Weighted Gene Correlation Network Analysis Reveal Hub Genes and Pathways Involved in the Response to Polyethylene-Glycol-Induced Drought Stress of Two Citrus Rootstocks.

Agriculture faces the dual challenge of increasing food production and safeguarding the environment. Climate change exacerbates this challenge, reducing crop yield and biomass due to drought stress, especially in semi-arid regions where Citrus plants are cultivated. Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying drought tolerance in Citrus is crucial for developing adaptive strategies. Plants of two citrus rootstocks, Carrizo Citrange and Bitters (C22), were grown in aerated half-strength Hoagland's nutrient solution. Post-acclimation, the plants were exposed to a solution containing 0% (control) or 15% PEG-8000 for 10 days. Leaf malonyl dialdehyde (MDA) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) content were measured to assess the reached oxidative stress level. Total RNA was extracted, sequenced, and de novo-assembled. Weighted Gene Correlation Network Analysis (WGCNA) was conducted to examine the relationship between gene expression patterns and the levels of MDA and H2O2 used as oxidative stress indicators. Plant visual inspection and MDA and H2O2 contents clearly indicate that Bitters is more tolerant than Carrizo towards PEG-induced drought stress. RNA-Seq analysis revealed a significantly higher number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in Carrizo (6092) than in Bitters (320), with most being associated with drought sensing, ROS scavenging, osmolyte biosynthesis, and cell wall metabolism. Moreover, the WGCNA identified transcription factors significantly correlated with MDA and H2O2 levels, thus providing insights into drought-coping strategies and offering candidate genes for enhancing citrus drought tolerance.

DOES IMPROVING TECHNICAL EFFICIENCY INCREASE FOOD PRODUCTION? AN ANALYSIS OF WHEAT FARMS IN AFGHANISTAN

Afghanistan faces serious challenges in terms of food security, which highlights the importance of agricultural productivity growth. This study assessed the impact of technical efficiency (TE) of wheat production on farmers’ household food security by improving food production using ex-post non-experimental data from Takhar Province, Afghanistan. Our empirical approach is based on the Cobb–Douglas stochastic frontier model and the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS). We found that farmers’ TE significantly improved farmers’ households’ food security by improving food production. Furthermore, the average TE score of food-secure farmers was 72.0%, whereas that of food-insecure farmers was 66.2%, and the difference was statistically significant. In conclusion, our findings underscore the essential role of improving farmers’ TE in enhancing food security in farming households in Afghanistan.

Impact of the Global Food Crisis on Germany’s Food Aid Measures: In the Context of COVID-19, Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine, and Extreme Weather

This study examines the results of an online survey on the impact of the global food crisis on Germany’s food aid measures. The global food crisis has left Germans food insecure, leading them to seek additional financial support to increase food production, including lower sales tax and aid for vulnerable groups. Perception of the causes of the food crisis differ across socio-economic groups, such as age, education, and income. Older participants were dissatisfied with the measures taken by the government and European Union to secure the functioning of the food security system. This group was also supportive of reduced consumption tax on food and increased charitable assistance for vulnerable groups. In Germany, where the birthrate is steadily declining and the population is aging, social security system reform is underway, with hope for stable and sustainable food assistance supported by older generations.

Impact of the comprehensive agricultural water use reform policy on food production: Quasinatural experimental evidence from China

In 2014, the Chinese government launched a comprehensive agricultural water use reform policy (CAWURP) for the conservation of agricultural water. Thus, the question as of as to how the implementation of this policy affects food production has arisen. To answer this question, we use Chinese provincial data from 2004 to 2021 and apply the difference-in-differences (DID) method to explore the relationship between the CAWURP and food production. The results show that the CAWURP can significantly improve food production, which means that water conservation and food production growth can be achieved simultaneously. Moreover, the CAWURP can enhance technological innovation and promote large-scale crop cultivation, which is conducive to enhancing food production. Regional division based on the CAWURP, economic development level, and food production area type significantly impacts the effect of the CAWURP. For example, policy reforms have been more effective at increasing food production capacity in the northeastern and eastern regions. However, such policy reforms have been less effective in the more water-poor northwestern region and in the major food-producing regions. Based on these conclusions, this study suggests that the Chinese government should differentially implement the CAWURP by, for example, strengthening the level of policy implementation in Northwest China and adjusting policy implementation projects in not only the major food-producing regions of the country but also Central China to enhance the effectiveness of policy implementation. This study provides a useful reference for other countries aiming to conduct agricultural water reforms and enhance food security.