Rice makes a splash and goes with the grain

IT WAS an obvious fit.

Stephanie Rice promoting Australian rice and water-based food production.

Australia's swimming “golden girl'' says she “didn't have to think too hard'' before accepting the job as ambassador for SunRice when approached by the NSW-based rice product giant after her success at the Beijing Olympics.

The triple gold medallist was in Canberra today helping to launch the Water4Food campaign, an initiative of 18 southern NSW councils to promote community awareness of the importance of food production and security.

“SunRice produces great products and Water4Food is an initiative well worth supporting,'' Ms Rice said.

Chairman of the Riverina and Murray Regional Organisation of Councils, Jerilderie Shire mayor Terry Hogan, said the main aim of Water4Food was to get ``more of a balance'' in the debate on agriculture and the environment.

“Growing food is something noble and should have equal weight (as the environment) in government policies,'' he said.

Mr Hogan said the Federal Government's $12.9 billion Water for the Future plan had to date been too weighted towards buy-backs for the environment.

But he welcomed the Government's attempt to “seek a better balance'' with its recent announcement of $650 million for irrigation upgrades in NSW.

“We're not about rabble-rousing,'' Mr Hogan said of the Water4Food supporters. “We want to work co-operatively with government to get more recognition of the importance of food production.''

The issue of food security was a “sleeping giant'' which would have to be addressed, he said.

Also at the launch, well-known science journalist Professor Julian Cribb warned that the world faced serious risks to food production and security over the next 40 years.

World population was set to jump by almost 50 per cent to 9 billion, total food demand would more than double, and serious water, land, oil and phosphate shortages were in prospect, Prof Cribb said.

The collapse or stagnation of fishery stocks would put enormous pressure on demand for meat, and climate change would exacerbate the situation, he said.

In relation to water resources, soaring demand by cities, whose populations were already outstripping those in rural areas, could strip away the water available to farmers.“By 2050, cities could rob farmers of half their water, while asking them to double their food production,'' Prof Cribb said.He said there had to be “crash programs'' to save water on farms and to re-cycle all urban water.

“I'm sorry about the sensibilities of Melbourne and Sydney people, but you must start drinking your own...,'' he said.

He called for water to be priced more realistically and for campaigns to bring an end to food waste.

“People have to realise that every cup of coffee they drink has involved 140 litres of water (in the growing and production process), every slice of bread 40 litres.''

Prof Cribb said water may even have to be mandated for food production in critical regions such as the Murray Darling Basin.

Australia should also aim to become a world leader in doubling water use efficiency, exporting water-saving technology and restoring degraded river systems, he said.