Innovating at the food, water, and energy interface

Abstract

Food, energy, and water (FEW) systems are inexorably linked. Earth's changing climate and increasing competition for finite land resources are creating and amplifying challenges at the FEW nexus. Managing FEW systems to mitigate these negative impacts and stresses is a pressing policy issue. The FEW interface is often managed as three independent systems, missing disruptive opportunities for streamlined integrated management. We contend that existing technologies can be reframed and emerging technologies can be harnessed for integrated FEW management, changing the way that each resource system operates within the broader system. We discuss solutions to three main challenges to integrating FEW system management: resolving spatiotemporal disconnections over multiple scales; closing resource loops; and creating actionable information. Sustainable resource management is critical for humanity, as well as for functioning trade systems and ecological health. Embracing integrated management in FEW systems would enable policy makers and managers to more efficiently and effectively secure critical resource systems in the face of global change.

Valuable habitat and low deforestation can reduce biodiversity gains from development rights markets

“…TDR trading is one of many potential market-based mechanisms for private land conservation, including direct payments for ecosystem services (McDonald et al, 2018). Implementing any of these participatory management strategies will require careful communication and collaboration with relevant stakeholders (Helmstedt, Stokes-Draut, Larsen, & Potts, 2018).…”

Stakeholder Perspectives on Sustainability in the Food-Energy-Water Nexus

“…The stakeholders that were involved in this assessment are a small sample of all of the stakeholders within the entire FEW nexus, and as such can provide a snapshot of the perspectives among different groups of relevant FEW stakeholders in the Great Lakes Region. Integrated management of FEW systems must have collaborative action of diverse stakeholders (Helmstedt et al, 2018), and in this work we illuminated some similarities and differences in the perspectives of major stakeholder groups in the FEW nexus. Other related studies that have elicited perceptions in the FEW nexus have had findings such as: regional and economic development are perceived to be major drivers of changes in water quality and effects on energy and food production, and that changes in political and economic systems are the major contributors to substantial changes in the FEW nexus (Lawford et al, 2013); differences in assessments of how well forests are managed and whether the amount of data and information that is required by legislation is sufficient, and that information exchange is inhibited by the costs of monitoring and reporting (Hickey et al, 2007); and concerns that management measures are hindered by limited economic resources, an emphasis on scientific research over research on efficient management strategies, lack of public awareness and support, an absence of coordination among public agencies, insufficient legislation, and limited enforcement of legislation (Andreu et al, 2009).…”

“…Integrating management of FEW systems requires resolving differences in spatiotemporal relationships over multiple scales, closing resource loops, and producing information that can be acted upon (Scott et al, 2011;Helmstedt et al, 2018). It is thus important to consider the scale of knowledge needs by stakeholders (Howarth and Monasterolo, 2016), otherwise messages that are tailored for stakeholders at one scale (e.g., regional) might not be useful by others that are relevant (e.g., local).…”

“…In addition, the individual components of the FEW nexus operate at different and overlapping spatial scales, such as when the water withdrawal of thermoelectric power plants responds to electricity demand on the grid, but affects the downstream water quantity and quality at the watershed level. Integrating management of FEW systems requires resolving differences in spatiotemporal relationships over multiple scales, closing resource loops, and producing information that can be acted upon (Helmstedt et al, 2018).…”

Optimizing dynamics of integrated food–energy–water systems under the risk of climate change

“…In recent years, there has been significant research interest in realizing sustainable infrastructure through integrated operation of food, energy, and water systems (FEWS) (Al-Saidi and Elagib 2017, Veldhuis and Yang 2017, Helmstedt et al 2018, Liu et al 2018. Fundamental elements of integrated FEWS include uncertainty, the interdependence between sectors, risk and impact of climate change, and a generalized framework that enables scalability to a multitude of applications (Howarth andMonasterolo 2016, Cai et al 2018).…”