This study summarizes the concept of the food-energy-water security nexus (FEW nexus). The aim is to create awareness about the importance of the nexus and to enable stakeholders to consider interconnections between the sectors in their work. The FEW nexus is discussed in the context of Africa south of the Sahara (SSA)—using Malawi and Mozambique as case studies. Even though analyzing food, energy, and water security issues simultaneously is critical given the interconnections, summarizing interventions with the FEW nexus approach in Malawi and Mozambique, we found that there are only a limited number of interventions in place. Additionally, this study reviews macro- and microeconomic models that are able to analyze the FEW nexus. On the macrolevel, especially general equilibrium models are discussed, because they show trade-offs and synergies of nexus interventions at all economic levels. These models can help guide policymakers’ understanding of nexus effects ex ante and convince them to think beyond their respective political departments. On the microlevel, the impact of nexus interventions can be assessed with qualitative and quantitative approaches. There are specific challenges for nexus interventions when it comes to aggregation and planning of the targeting. A secondary data analysis of nexus interventions shows that existing data is not sufficient to conduct research specifically related to the FEW nexus. The results of this study will help research programs to reflect the key questions required to enhance adoption of FEW technologies and inform policymakers as they formulate policies that will exploit the strong synergies of food security, energy, and water investments.

CGIAR Research Program on Policies, Institutions, and Markets (PIM) | Nielsen Thea et al., 'The food-energy-water security nexus: Definitions, policies, and methods in an application to Malawi and Mozambique', , IFPRI, 2015

This study demonstrates that clear and humic freshwater pelagic communities respond differently to the same environmental stressors, i.e. nutrient and light availability. Thus, effects on humic communities cannot be generalized from existing knowledge about these environmental stressors on clear water communities. Small humic lakes are the most numerous type of lake in the boreal zone, but little is known about how these lakes will respond to increased inflows of nutrients and terrestrial dissolved organic C (t-DOC) due to climate change and increased human impacts. Therefore, we compared the effects of nutrient addition and light availability on pelagic humic and clear water lake communities in a mesocosm experiment. When nutrients were added, phytoplankton production (PPr) increased in both communities, but pelagic energy mobilization (PEM) and bacterial production (BP) only increased in the humic community. At low light conditions, the addition of nutrients led to increased PPr only in the humic community, suggesting that, in contrast to the clear water community, humic phytoplankton were already adapted to lower ambient light levels. Low light significantly reduced PPr and PEM in the clear water community, but without reducing total zooplankton production, which resulted in a doubling of food web efficiency (FWE = total zooplankton production/PEM). However, total zooplankton production was not correlated with PEM, PPr, BP, PPr:BP or C:nutrient stoichiometry for either community type. Therefore, other factors such as food chain length, food quality, ultra-violet radiation or duration of the experiment, must have determined total zooplankton production and ultimately FWE.

Globally, most food is produced using soil moisture that comes from precipitation (i.e., “green” water). Moreover, most of the water that reaches plants in irrigated systems also stems from precipitation. Despite this, irrigation (or “blue”) water has typically been the focus for policy analysis, largely because it is possible for humans to manipulate blue water. This paper analyzes alternative water futures using a combined green and blue water accounting framework embedded within the water simulation components of IFPRI’s International Model for Policy Analysis of Agricultural Commodities and Trade (IMPACT). Future scenarios recently developed for the International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD) and other studies are assessed with respect to this adjusted green/blue water accounting framework. The results reveal that accounting explicitly for green water resources broadens the scope of options for decision-makers who are seeking to improve agricultural production in the face of rising food and energy prices, a degrading water and land resource base, and increasing demands. This analysis highlight the importance of green/blue water accounting and presents a wider range of agricultural science and technology policy options for increasing global crop productivity across a span of potential futures. | Non-PR | IFPRI1; GRP38; GRP22 | EPTD

This work demonstrates the properties of calcium-fortified potato starch prepared by immersion in natural mineral water containing an extremely high level of calcium (468 ppm) and its food application. The calcium content of the fortified potato starch produced by use of the original mineral water was as high as 813 ppm, while calcium content of the control potato starch was 99 ppm. Rapid visco-analyzer data revealed that the calcium-fortified potato starch had a markedly lower peak viscosity and breakdown and a higher peak viscosity temperature than the control potato starch. Furthermore, calcium fortification caused a significant decrease in starch swelling power. Pound cakes made from the calcium-fortified potato starch and wheat flour blends tended to have a higher specific volume and sensory score of appearance than those made from the control potato starch and wheat flour blends. These findings suggest that the use of calcium-fortified potato starch is critical for making pound cakes with good quality in appearance.

The aim of the study was to assess the <em>in vitro</em> effect of phenols extracted from oil vegetation water (PEOW) on several food-borne strains. Antibacterial activity of PEOW was based on the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) on microtitre assay. The taxa tested were: <em>Staphylococcus</em> (n. 5), <em>Listeria</em> (n. 4), <em>Escherichia</em> (n. 2), <em>Salmonella</em> (n. 1), <em>Pseudomonas</em> (n. 3), <em>Lactobacillus</em> (n. 2) and <em>Pediococcus</em> (n. 1). <em>S. aureus</em> and <em>L. monocytogens</em> showed the lowest level of resistance to PEOW (MBC=1.5-3 mg/mL). In contrast, the Gram negative strains (<em>e.g.</em> <em>S. Typhimurium</em> and <em>Pseudomonas</em> spp.) were in some cases unaffected by the tested doses and the MBCs ranged between 6 to 12 mg/mL. Starter cultures were dramatically reduced on growth (<em>e.g. Staphylococcus xylosus</em>; 0.75 mg/mL MBC). The thresholds for pathogenic strains could be considered for further applications of PEOW in food models (<em>e.g.</em> shelf life or challenge test studies).

H. Kaweesi, 'Managing water: Exploring the potential of micro-irrigation in promoting food and income: The case of Nakasongola', International Water Management Institute (IWMI); CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems (WLE); Global Water Initiative East Africa (GWI EA), 2015

The prospect of climate change has revived both fears of food insecurity and its corollary, market opportunities for agricultural production. In Australia, with its long history of state-sponsored agricultural development, there is renewed interest in the agricultural development of tropical and sub-tropical northern regions. Climate projections suggest that there will be less water available to the main irrigation systems of the eastern central and southern regions of Australia, while net rainfall could be sustained or even increase in the northern areas. Hence, there could be more intensive use of northern agricultural areas, with the relocation of some production of economically important commodities such as vegetables, rice and cotton. The problem is that the expansion of cropping in northern Australia has been constrained by agronomic and economic considerations. The present paper examines the economics, at both farm and regional level, of relocating some cotton production from the east-central irrigation areas to the north where there is an existing irrigation scheme together with some industry and individual interest in such relocation. Integrated modelling and expert knowledge are used to examine this example of prospective climate change adaptation. Farm-level simulations show that without adaptation, overall gross margins will decrease under a combination of climate change and reduction in water availability. A dynamic regional Computable General Equilibrium model is used to explore two scenarios of relocating cotton production from south east Queensland, to sugar-dominated areas in northern Queensland. Overall, an increase in real economic output and real income was realized when some cotton production was relocated to sugar cane fallow land/new land. There were, however, large negative effects on regional economies where cotton production displaced sugar cane. It is concluded that even excluding the agronomic uncertainties, which are not examined here, there is unlikely to be significant market-driven relocation of cotton production.

The interlinkage between water, energy and food security and its transboundary relevance is becoming increasingly important. The paper analyses the evolution of transboundary water resources management in the Euphrates–Tigris basin with specific reference to interlinkages between water, food and energy policies at national and transboundary levels, and it explores how the policy shifts at the highest decision-making level have served to produce synergies for cooperation among the riparians or vice versa.