Water footprint and virtual water trade of apples: Insights from India

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Abstract and Figures

India is a prominent producer and exporter of apples globally. However, apple cultivation requires significant water resources, and the water foot- print associated with apple production and trade in India has not been thor- oughly quantified. This study quantified the water footprint associated with apple production in India from 2000 to 2023, as well as the virtual water trade between 2018 and 2023. State-wise data on Indian apple production was collected and analyzed to assess the domestic water footprint, while trade data was compiled to estimate the virtual water flow associated with apple imports and exports. The results showed that the water footprint of Indian apple production averaged 2,430 million cubic meters (Mm3 ) annual- ly. This substantial footprint was primarily composed of green water (69.9%), along with blue water (23.9%) and grey water (6.2%). In terms of virtual water trade, India was a net importer with 27.8 Mm3 of virtual water embodied in apple imports from major exporters such as Turkey, Iran and Italy. This analysis underscores the considerable water footprint of Indian apple production and the nation's significant net inflow of virtual water re- sources through the apple trade. Additionally, the study highlights the im- portance of considering virtual water flow in agricultural trade policies to achieve sustainable and equitable water resource management.

Green, blue and grey virtual water exports from India.

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Total water footprint and virtual water contents of apples in India from 2000 to 2023

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Figures - available via license: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International

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Taxonomy

• Agriculture
• Sustainable Agriculture
• Water Footprint
• Water Footprint Research
• Sustainable Agriculture
• Water Footprint