Water usage for production / Water footprint WF
Definition / description
The total volume of water required to produce a unit of harvested crop or agricultural product is referred to as the water footprint (WF). It provides a framework for evaluating agricultural freshwater consumption and assessing water productivity.
Water consumption includes precipitation, referred to as ‘green water’, and ‘blue water’ originating from surface water and groundwater resources. Blue water may be applied through irrigation systems or may become available to the crop through capillary rise from groundwater into the root zone. The total volume of green and blue water consumed by the crop during its growing cycle contributes to its water footprint.
Reference: [References]
Publications / information
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Kreith, M., 1991:
Water inputs in California food production. (An excerpt of three charts and the general assumptions section).
Water Education Foundation 717 K Street, Suite 517, Sacramento, CA 95814.
VL reprint under:
VL Irrigation & Hydrology - vl_ref_id_x_0011An excerpt of three tables/charts converted from US into metric units
VL Irrigation & Hydrology - vl_ref_id_x_0012
Reference
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Demir, M.S., and A. Muratoglu, 2025:
Water footprint concept, approaches, and applications: A comprehensive review for the agricultural sector. -
Water and Environment Journal, Volume 39, Issue 2.
https://doi.org/10.1111/wej.12968 -
Mialyk, O., Schyns, J.F, Booij, M.J., Han Su, Hogeboom, R.J. and M. Berger, 2024:
Water footprints and crop water use of 175 individual crops for 1990–2019 simulated with a global crop model. -
Sci Data 11, 206 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-024-03051-3