Virtual water flows and water-footprint of agricultural crop production, import and export: A case study for Israel

Shtull-Trauring, Eliav; Bernstein, Nirit

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.12.012

Cited by 52 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…In line with the latest scientific literature [80,81], the study highlights also a spatially explicit differentiation of blue, green, and grey water in virtual water flows related to the wine trade between Italy and the Balkans. Green water dominates the virtual water flows, since the external water footprint both for Italy and the Balkan countries is mainly constituted by its green water component.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 82%

Managing Water Sustainability: Virtual Water Flows and Economic Water Productivity Assessment of the Wine Trade between Italy and the Balkans

Miglietta

Morrone

2018

Sustainability

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Abstract:The management of natural resources in economic activities has become a fundamental issue when considering the perspective of sustainable development. It is necessary to rethink every process in order to reach efficiency from different points of view, not only environmentally but also economically. Water scarcity is growing because of economic and population growth, climate change, and the increasing water demand. Currently, agri-food represents the most water consumptive sector, and the increasing importance of international trade in this industry puts freshwater issues in a global context that should be analyzed and regulated by sustainable policies. This analysis is focused on virtual water flows and economic water productivity related to the wine trade, and aims to evaluate water loss/savings achieved through bilateral trade relations. The choice fell on Italy, the first wine producer in the world, and the Balkan countries. The latter are new markets for wine production/consumption, in which Italian wines are strongly positioned for different reasons. The results show that, from a national point of view and considering wine trade, Italy exports water in virtual form to the Balkan countries, more than it imports, so that in effect it partially uses its own water resources for the wine supply of the Balkans. The latter, on the other hand, being a net importer of wine, partially depends on Italian water resources and exerts less pressure on their own water basins in the supporting wine supply. We also observed that the wine trade between Italy and the Balkans implies global water savings.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 82%

Managing Water Sustainability: Virtual Water Flows and Economic Water Productivity Assessment of the Wine Trade between Italy and the Balkans

Miglietta

Morrone

2018

Sustainability

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“…Therefore, to guarantee the food security of China's 1.4 billion people with minimal environmental costs, efficiently evaluating and managing water resource consumption is essential [2]. Although the worldwide water demand from the industrial and household sectors has increased, the agriculture sector still intensely consumes the largest share of water [3,4], accounting for approximately 70% of the total global water demand. For the sustainable use of water resources, we need to effectively alleviate the pressure on water resources due to agricultural production.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatial-Temporal Differences in Water Footprints of Grain Crops in Northwest China: LMDI Decomposition Analysis

Shi¹,

Wang²,

Zhang³

et al. 2019

Water

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Agriculture and crop production is the sector with the highest water demand, and because of water shortages and an unbalanced distribution of natural resources in China, improving the efficiency of agricultural water use is essential. In this study, we quantified the total water footprint (WF) of major crop products in Northwest China using the Penman–Monteith formula. The logarithmic mean divisor index (LMDI) was used to explain the four factors driving the spatial and temporal differences in the WFs of the major crops in five provinces and regions in Northwest China. The results showed that from 2006 to 2015, the total WF of the major crops was increasing overall. From a temporal perspective, the crop area and yield effects, which were the factors driving the overall increase in the WF, positively impacted the overall change in the WF of the major crops in Northwest China. The effects of the virtual water content (VWC) and crop structure were both volatile. The effect of the crop structure made a relatively small contribution, while the effect of the VWC played a significant role in changing the overall WF. From a spatial perspective, the changes in the VWC and crop structure negatively inhibited the increase of the WF, widening the difference between these provinces and regions and Shanxi. The increased yields in Xinjiang most clearly increased the WF, followed by those in Ningxia, Qinghai, and Gansu. In comparison with Shanxi, in all the provinces and regions except Xinjiang, the change in cultivated area was less effective in promoting the WF. Therefore, scientific planting plans should be developed for adapting to climate change, considering the differences in natural features among various provinces and regions. Water conservation and advanced agricultural technology should be promoted to enhance the sustainability of agricultural development.

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“…It is a sad fact that due to the international food trade, the resources used for domestic products are utilized abroad [15]. In the case, for example, of Germany, the benefits of local freshwater used both directly and indirectly for producing food is mainly exported to Spain and Pakistan, and in the case of animal products, to France and Argentina.…”

Section: A Few Aspects Of the Sustainability Dimensionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Role of Cultural Factors in Sustainable Food Consumption—An Investigation of the Consumption Habits among International Students in Hungary

et al. 2019

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Food consumption plays a pivotal role in the economy and the health of individuals. Foods and meals, in addition to sustaining life, also have many functions in society, such as human bonding. The purpose of our study is to present a qualitative research method to show the role of food consumption in the culture of several ethnic groups, and to introduce the ways in which cultural factors influence eating habits and local food supply conditions. In the first part of the research, the sample was a mix of multiple nationalities. During our investigations, the main questions were: What do you think about the culture and value food consumption? What kind of food do you consume the most? What differences do you find in the habits of different ethnic groups, especially regarding their eating habits? In the second part, we asked the main actors of the local supply system (restaurants, buffets, shops) about the ways they track the demand of foreign students. Our results have been implemented into two different SWOT matrixes. We can conclude that such research on food consumption attitudes and community behavior is essential. Most of the interviewed students are interested in comparing their diet and cultural traditions to those of other nations’, and prefer local foods. The study proved that eating habits in Hungary have an impact on the eating habits of international students, and they changed them from several perspectives. The study found that dietary choices are complex decisions that have a significant environmental and social impact, but we need to add that thanks to the strong cultural background, the students can keep their sustainable eating and community values abroad, which can also strongly influence the development of the local food supply practices.

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Virtual water flows and water-footprint of agricultural crop production, import and export: A case study for Israel

Cited by 52 publications

References 29 publications

Managing Water Sustainability: Virtual Water Flows and Economic Water Productivity Assessment of the Wine Trade between Italy and the Balkans

Managing Water Sustainability: Virtual Water Flows and Economic Water Productivity Assessment of the Wine Trade between Italy and the Balkans

Spatial-Temporal Differences in Water Footprints of Grain Crops in Northwest China: LMDI Decomposition Analysis

The Role of Cultural Factors in Sustainable Food Consumption—An Investigation of the Consumption Habits among International Students in Hungary

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