Agriculture accounts for more than 90% of global freshwater consumption and is a major driver of water scarcity and overexploitation of vulnerable freshwater resources. Growing food demand, changing trade dynamics and climate change–induced alterations of the water cycle further intensify pressures on water resources within Europe and along global agricultural supply chains. Improving the efficiency and resilience of food systems therefore requires robust, spatially explicit insights into agricultural water use and its local consequences.
This PhD research aims to improve the quantification and impact assessment of water use associated with European consumption of food and other crop-derived products. The project integrates global crop water modelling with water footprint and life cycle assessment approaches to support policy-relevant analysis of agricultural water use, efficiency and resilience. In the first phase, the global crop water model ACEA will be further developed to enable recurring and automated updates of global crop water footprint accounts. These accounts will be used to quantify water footprints of food, bio-based materials and bioenergy, covering both European production and imports.
Building on these volumetric accounts, the research will analyse the local impacts of agricultural water use by improving the integration of Water Footprint and Life Cycle Assessment methods. This includes enhancing the spatial and temporal alignment between crop water models, LCA databases and impact assessment methods, as well as exploring improved representations of green water use and water scarcity impacts.
In the later stage of the project, the modelling framework and assessment methods will be applied in policy-relevant case studies at the Joint Research Centre in Ispra, Italy. The research will contribute to the European Commission’s Environmental Footprint framework and support the analysis of alternative agricultural and food production pathways. By advancing global crop water modelling and integrating water footprint and life cycle assessment approaches, the project will provide policy-relevant insights into water use and water scarcity. The results will support evidence-based European decision making and contribute to more sustainable and resilient freshwater use along global food supply chains.