The Next Crop: The Water-Energy-Food-Environment Nexus
ADSW Dialogues
Food, water, energy and environmental systems are under increasing pressure. Climate volatility, water scarcity, land degradation and biodiversity loss are compounding one another while global food demand continues to rise. In many regions these pressures are systemic, exposing the limits of policies and investment models that treat food, water, energy and ecosystems as separate domains
Food systems sit at the centre of this challenge. Agriculture is one of the largest users of water and land, a major consumer of energy and a significant driver of environmental degradation, yet it remains essential to human wellbeing, economic stability and social resilience. Improving outcomes in one area without creating new risks elsewhere is becoming harder, as trade-offs become increasingly visible across supply chains, markets and public health.
Against this backdrop, The Next Crop Dialogue, held during Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week in partnership with the World Agriculture Forum UAE Country Council – brought together policymakers, investors, producers, researchers and technology providers. Facilitated by PwC Middle East and held under the Chatham House Rule, the discussion explored how the Water-Energy-Food-Environment (WEFE) nexus could support a more integrated pathway forward, with participants focusing on practical ways to address where integration breaks down in delivery.
Key insights:
The dialogue highlighted five priorities for strengthening the WEFE nexus:
Local conditions set the performance ceiling, so solutions must be designed for place
What gets measured gets funded, making it critical to quantify nexus value in ways markets recognise
Policy alignment matters, particularly where pricing masks environmental and system-level costs
Food loss and waste is a major nexus lever, but adoption depends on aligning incentives across supply chains
Food system resilience is shifting from calories to outcomes, with growing focus on nutrition, safety and trust
The Next Crop: The Water-Energy-Food-Environment Nexus
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