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Reducing Water Scarcity by Reducing Food Loss and Waste

Reducing Water Scarcity by Reducing Food Loss and Waste

Landon T. Marston1 *, Quentin D. Read2 , Samuel P. Brown3 and Mary K. Muth4

1 The Charles E. Via, Jr. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States, 2 National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center (SESYNC), Annapolis, MD, United States, 3 Department of Civil Engineering, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, United States, 4 RTI International, Durham, NC,

United States Water scarcity is a pervasive threat to society that is expected to intensify alongside a growing and more affluent population and a changing climate. In this paper, we review the existing literature to assess the potential of lessening water scarcity by reducing food loss and waste. Existing studies reveal the scope of food loss and waste and its accompanying impact on water resources, thereby providing a foundation for policy action. We highlight existing or proposed food loss and waste reduction measures and review available evidence concerning their impact on water resources. Our review reveals that there is a deficit of research that can guide specific policy interventions aimed at mitigating water scarcity by reducing food loss and waste. Instead, the last decade of research has primarily focused on quantifying the current water footprint of food loss and waste for different locations, points within the supply chain, and food groups. Yet, the degree of uncertainty inherent in these estimates, their lack of precision, and several simplifying assumptions make it difficult to translate this research into robust policy measures to reduce the environmental burden of food loss and waste. We conclude by advancing a research agenda that will (i) quantify and reduce uncertainty through enhanced data collection and methods; (ii) holistically assess policy measures, including system level impacts and feedback; (iii) develop methods and technologies for transparent supply chain tracing. Together, advances in these areas will guide and ground food loss and waste policy toward reducing water scarcity. Keywords: water footprint, water scarcity, policy, food loss, food waste

INTRODUCTION

Over two-thirds of the global population lives under water scarcity (Mekonnen and Hoekstra, 2016). Limited water supplies inhibit economic growth, pose societal health risks, and endanger ecosystems. Measures to reduce water scarcity have primarily focused on developing new water supplies (World Commission on Dams, 2000) and improving water productivity (Marston et al., 2020), particularly in the agricultural sector, since it is responsible for over 90% of global consumptive freshwater use (Hoekstra and Mekonnen, 2012). Shifting to more efficient irrigation technologies (Jägermeyr et al., 2015), cultivating less water intensive crops (Marston and Konar, 2017), and growing crops best suited for a given hydroclimatic environment (Davis et al., 2017) can reduce the agricultural sector’s water footprint and its contribution to water scarcity. However, the challenge of reducing water scarcity is ubiquitous and enduring, with no single remedy.

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