Water is the invisible backbone of cereal productivity worldwide. Without it, wheat cannot germinate, grow, or fill its grain.
In the Mediterranean — which accounts for nearly one quarter of the EU’s durum wheat output — water has become agriculture’s most limiting factor.
The new EU Directive on Sustainable Water Use (2024) and the revision of the Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC) introduce stricter governance rules, requiring member states to meet binding efficiency and protection targets.
A Critical Context for Mediterranean Cereals
Cereal systems in Italy, Spain, and Greece depend heavily on winter rainfall and spring irrigation.
Over the past two decades, the frequency of consecutive dry seasons has risen by 30% (EEA, 2024), while surface water reserves have dropped by up to 20% in parts of the Po Valley and Andalusia.
Even traditionally “dryland” wheat must now adapt to new aridity patterns.
What the New EU Directive Brings
Adopted in 2024, the Directive sets out:
- a 10% reduction in agricultural water use by 2030,
- the “fair water pricing” principle,
- mandatory digital monitoring of withdrawals,
- and incentives for treated wastewater reuse in irrigation.
For cereal farms, this means adjusting irrigation schedules, shifting to drip or subsurface systems, and improving water productivity per unit consumed (Water Productivity Index).
Italy’s Water Governance: A Structural Change
In Italy, implementation is coordinated by the Ministry for the Environment and Energy Security and River Basin Authorities.
Regional water plans must now include:
- water vulnerability maps for cereal crops;
- extraction limits in overexploited districts (Po, Central Apennines, South);
- incentives for precision irrigation technology.
According to CREA (2025), widespread adoption of precision irrigation in wheat fields could reduce water use by 25–30% without yield losses, if paired with training and PSN funding.
The Real Cost of Water
The Directive introduces a new principle: water users must pay for its environmental cost.
Farmers will receive incentives only if they can prove efficient use.
A “water credit” system — similar to carbon credits — will allow those who save or reuse water to accumulate tradable water credits within consortia or regional networks.
This is a new form of governance based on transparency and accountability.
Mediterranean Challenges Ahead
In Mediterranean agriculture, wheat sits at the crossroads of climate and economics.
Without reducing reliance on freshwater, competition with other sectors (urban, energy, industrial) will intensify.
Projects like Water4AgriMed and LIFE MedCereal show that digital irrigation networks and wastewater reuse can sustain yields and biodiversity even under arid conditions.
The next step is cultural: shifting from an agriculture that uses water to one that collaborates with the hydrological cycle.
Sources:
- European Commission (2024). New Water Framework Directive and Sustainable Use Regulation.
- European Environment Agency (2024). Water Scarcity and Droughts in Europe – Mediterranean Focus.
- CREA (2025). Sustainable Water Management in Italian Cereal Systems.
- LIFE MedCereal Project (2024). Water Efficiency in Mediterranean Cereal Crops.
- FAO (2024). Water Governance for Sustainable Agriculture.