Virtual Water and Water Footprint in California : the Case Study of Alfalfa and Almonds
- 주제(키워드) Virtual Water , Water Footprint , California , Agricultural Water Use
- 발행기관 고려대학교 국제대학원
- 지도교수 이승호
- 발행년도 2016
- 학위수여년월 2016. 2
- 학위구분 석사
- 학과 국제대학원 국제학과
- 세부전공 국제개발협력 전공
- 원문페이지 53 p
- 실제URI http://www.dcollection.net/handler/korea/000000065209
- 본문언어 영어
- 제출원본 000045867328
초록/요약
Water is an essential for human life. It plays an especially crucial role in the production of food. For this reason, approximately 70 percent of the world’s freshwater is used for agricultural production. However, agricultural water use is projected to be strained by growing population, economic development, and climate change, which could threaten the future food supply chain. To cope with these challenges, there has been a surge of studies regarding the water resources embodied in the agricultural product in a virtual sense and water use related to consumption within a nation, referred as “virtual water” and “water footprint”. This paper evaluates California’s agricultural virtual water and water footprint, especially focusing on the state’s most water-intensive crops: alfalfa and almonds. Thanks to superior irrigation technology, availability of cheap water resources and moderate Mediterranean climate, California produces about 99 percent of almonds in the U.S. and roughly 80 percent of world’s almonds. This makes almonds one of California’s most lucrative exported products. Furthermore, a growing population is associated with additional demand for meat and dairy products and as a result has increased demand for alfalfa hays, which uses about 14 percent of the state’s agricultural water supply. In the middle of a drought, California farmers are continuing to produce these most water-intensive crops to maximize their profit due to the growing demands of these crops. Moreover, the political sensitiveness, the lack of government concern, and the absence of regulation and standards has created the conditions for the state’s limited water resources to be exported mainly to Asian countries in the form of virtual water to support its growing demands. The case study clearly shows that international trade – especially virtual water trade – distorts the local market because profits are more important for farm owners than conservation of the environment and its resources. To prevent possible water crises in the future, proper regulations and water pricing associated with environmental outcomes, social preferences, and equity issues must be taken into consideration.
more목차
I. Introduction 1
II. Literature Review and Theoretical Framework 3
2.1 Literature review 3
2.2 Theoretical framework 9
III. Water and Agriculture 10
3.1 Virtual Water Trade of Agricultural Commodities 10
3.2 Global level, Regional level and National level 10
3.3 California 14
IV. Overview of California’s Agriculture and Water Use 17
4.1 Socioeconomic Development 17
4.2 California’s Water Resources 17
4.3 Water Management Policy 18
4.4 Agricultural Water Use 20
4.4.1 Crops 21
4.4.2 Livestock 23
V. The Case Study: Alfalfa and Almonds 25
5.1 Alfalfa 25
5.2 Almonds 28
VI. Policy Implications 30
6.1 Challenges 30
6.2 Achievements 33
VII. Conclusion 36
Bibliography 39
