Virtual water flows and trade: The complex relationship between agriculture and water

Dang, Q., Lin K., and M Konar

Virtual water flows and trade: The complex relationship between agriculture and water

What can a snapshot of virtual water flows tell us about the agricultural sector? Where is it vulnerable? How does it compare to global virtual water trade?

By Sam Cohen • January 21, 2016

Original Paper:
Dang, Q., Lin, X., and M Konar. 2015. "Agricultural virtual water flows within the United States." Water Resources Research, 51, 973-986. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/2014WR015919

Agriculture is the overwhelming leader in water use across the globe. Around 70 percent of total freshwater withdrawals are used to irrigate crops, while rain-fed agriculture is the single largest user of water. When we ship crops around the world, vast amounts of "virtual water" follow. Examining this virtual flow can shed light on inefficiencies or inequities, pinpoint important or vulnerable nodes from a water perspective, and inform future water resource management.

A new study in Water Resources Research examines the flow of virtual water within the U.S. and compares it to flows worldwide. This is the first attempt to examine domestic virtual water flows with actual food transfer data (provided through the Commodity Flow Survey, a collaboration of the Department of Transportation and the U.S. Census). Using this, along with state-specific water footprint data for various crops, the University of Illinois researchers quantify flows of virtual water between states (see figure 1).
Read more regarding: 
Food, Agriculture and Water
Sam Cohen

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