Water is one of the most important limiting resources for food production. How much water is needed for food depends on the size of the population, average food consumption patterns and food production per unit of water. These factors show large differences around the world. This paper analyzes sub-continental dynamics of the water footprint of consumption (WFcons) for the prevailing diets from 1961 to 2009 using data from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The findings show that, in most regions, the water needed to feed one person decreased even if diets became richer, because of the increase in water use efficiency in food production during the past half-century. The logarithmic mean Divisia index (LMDI) decomposition approach is used to analyze the contributions of the major drivers of WFcons for food: population, diet and agricultural practices (output per unit of water). We compare the contributions of these drivers through different subcontinents, and find that population growth still was the major driver behind increasing WFcons for food until now and that potential water savings through agricultural practice improvements were offset by population growth and diet change. The changes of the factors mentioned above were the largest in most developing areas with rapid economic development. With the development of globalization, the international food trade has brought more and more water savings in global water use over time. The results indicate that, in the near future and in many regions, diet change is likely to override population growth as the major driver behind WFcons for food.

Approximately 50% of the industries in the province of Mendoza, Argentina are related to food and drinks. In arid regions such as this one, the consumption and efficient use of water requires special attention by all demand sectors, including domestic, irrigation, industrial and environmental. The industries in Mendoza mostly use groundwater, including for cooling, as a prime material or for cleaning during different parts of the productive process. In this latter case, returning it to the hydric system. Knowledge about the water volume used by these industries is important for diverse applications, such as calculating virtual water products and obtaining water balances that incorporate the uses by sector at the basin level. To identify the water consumed by the food industry in Mendoza, the present work proposed using coefficients relating water volume with the prime material processed or the produced product. These can be applied to perform estimates per basin of the volume of water used by these industries. The main coefficients were obtained based on in-person interviews in industries with different production scales, such as warehouses, producers of beer and non-alcoholic drinks and fruit and vegetable preservers. In addition, the use of the water in the process is explained for each branch of activity. The coefficient values obtained from the interviews were compared with those reported by the local and international literature. | Aproximadamente el 50% de los establecimientos industriales de la provincia de Mendoza, Argentina se concentra en los rubros de alimentos y bebidas. En zonas áridas como ésta, el consumo y la eficiencia en el uso del agua requieren de especial atención en todos los sectores de la demanda: doméstico, riego, industrial y ambiental. Las industrias de Mendoza utilizan fundamentalmente agua subterránea, ya sea para refrigerar, como materia prima o para la limpieza en distintas partes del proceso productivo; en este último caso, con retorno al sistema hídrico. El conocimiento del volumen de agua que utilizan tales industrias es importante para diversas aplicaciones, como el cálculo del agua virtual de los productos, y para la realización de balances hídricos que incorporan los usos sectoriales en el nivel de cuenca. Para conocer el consumo de agua por parte de la industria alimenticia de Mendoza, el presente trabajo propone utilizar coeficientes que relacionen volumen de agua con materia prima procesada o producto elaborado. Éstos se pueden aplicar para efectuar las estimaciones por cuenca del volumen de agua utilizada por tales industrias. Los coeficientes primarios se obtuvieron a partir de entrevistas presenciales en industrias con diferentes escalas de producción, tales como bodegas, cerveceras, elaboradoras de bebidas no alcohólicas, y conserveras de frutas y hortalizas. Asimismo, para cada rama de actividad se explica el uso de agua en el proceso. Los valores de coeficientes obtenidos a partir de las entrevistas se compararon con aquellos provenientes de bibliografía local e internacional.

Aproximadamente el 50% de los establecimientos industriales de la provincia de Mendoza, Argentina se concentra en los rubros de alimentos y bebidas. En zonas áridas como ésta, el consumo y la eficiencia en el uso del agua requierende especial atención en todos los sectores de la demanda: doméstico, riego, industrial y ambiental. Las industrias de Mendoza utilizan fundamentalmente agua subterránea, ya sea para refrigerar, como materia prima o para la limpiezaen distintas partes del proceso productivo; en este último caso, con retorno al sistema hídrico. El conocimiento del volumen de agua que utilizan tales industrias es importante para diversas aplicaciones, como el cálculo del agua virtual de los productos, y para la realización de balances hídricos que incorporan los usos sectoriales en el nivel de cuenca. Para conocer el consumo de agua por parte de la industria alimenticia de Mendoza, el presente trabajo propone utilizar coeficientes que relacionen volumen de agua con materia prima procesada o producto elaborado. Éstos se pueden aplicar para efectuar las estimaciones por cuenca del volumen de agua utilizada por tales industrias. Los coeficientes primarios se obtuvieron a partir de entrevistas presenciales en industrias con diferentes escalas de producción, talescomo bodegas, cerveceras, elaboradoras de bebidas no alcohólicas, y conserveras de frutas y hortalizas. Asimismo, para cada rama de actividad se explica el uso de agua en el proceso. Los valores de coeficientes obtenidos a partir de las entrevistas se compararon con aquellos provenientes de bibliografía local e internacional.

This study estimated the gains of virtual water, Phosphorus (P) and Phytic Acid (PA) through rice and wheat import to Ghana for the period 1998–2005, and assessed the implications of increasing rice import coupled with declining domestic production for food security. The total virtual water of Ghana associated with rice and wheat import for the study period was 5574 Mm³, while the total P and PA was 1,364,097 and 3,825,438 tonnes, respectively. Domestic paddy rice production started declining from 2003, but was exceeded by import from 2001 onwards. Particularly for rice, the combination of factors such as surging demand and per capita consumption, low yield resulting from less land under cultivation and irrigation, and high import bill, necessitates policy actions to remove constraints on domestic production. The paper, therefore, suggests policy actions to increase domestic rice production and to minimise Ghana's exposure to the risks inherent in rice import.

Trabajo presentado en Aquaculture Europe (Adding value), celebrado en San Sebastián del 14 al 17 de octubre de 2014. | No

International audience | The objective of this study was to document the effect of social ranking on the internal exposure of pigs to an antibiotic (fosfomycin) administered either in food or in drinking water. Signs of aggression were recorded at the feeder and drinker. The interindividual variability explained by the social rank was even greater when the test antibiotic was given in food despite the fact that the water consumption was less variable than the food intake. The range of plasma concentrations after administration of fosfomycin either in food or drinking water leads to a number of pigs in the treated group being exposed to rather low and highly variable concentrations of fosfomycin and not able to maintain adequate plasma concentrations above the typical minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). Social rank clearly influences the level of exposure of pigs to fosfomycin both in food and drinking. However, its administration in drinking water is likely to be the best option to optimize antibiotic efficacy.

Research Study Report

The objective of this study was to document the effect of social ranking on the internal exposure of pigs to an antibiotic (fosfomycin) administered either in food or in drinking water. Signs of aggression were recorded at the feeder and drinker. The interindividual variability explained by the social rank was even greater when the test antibiotic was given in food despite the fact that the water consumption was less variable than the food intake. The range of plasma concentrations after administration of fosfomycin either in food or drinking water leads to a number of pigs in the treated group being exposed to rather low and highly variable concentrations of fosfomycin and not able to maintain adequate plasma concentrations above the typical minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). Social rank clearly influences the level of exposure of pigs to fosfomycin both in food and drinking. However, its administration in drinking water is likely to be the best option to optimize antibiotic efficacy.