Details
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Land Use and Soil Resources |
| Publisher | Springer Science and Business Media B.V. |
| Pages | 121-143 |
| Number of pages | 23 |
| ISBN (print) | 9781402067778 |
| Publication status | Published - 2008 |
Abstract
Globalization and increasing population pressure on food demand and land and water resources have stimulated interest in nutrient and virtual water flows at the international level. West Asia/North Africa (WANA), Southeast Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa are net importers not only of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK) but also of virtual water in agricultural commodities. Nevertheless, the widely recognized declines in soil fertility and problems related to water shortage continue to increase, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. The nutrients imported are commonly concentrated in the cities, creating waste disposal problems rather than alleviating deficiencies in rural soils. And also the water shortage problems continue to contribute to intensified desertification processes, which again lead to increased urbanization and thus water shortage problems in cities. Countries with a net loss of NPK and virtual water in agricultural commodities are the major food exporting countries-the USA, Australia, and some Latin American countries. Understanding the manifold factors determining the nutrient and water flows is essential. Only then can solutions be found which ensure a sustainable use of nutrients and water resources. The chapter ends by stressing the need for factoring environmental costs into the debate on nutrient and water management, and advocates more transdisciplinary research on these important problems.
Keywords
- environmental degradation, international trade, Nutrient flows, virtual water flows
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Environmental Science(all)
- General Environmental Science
- Earth and Planetary Sciences(all)
- General Earth and Planetary Sciences
Sustainable Development Goals
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Land Use and Soil Resources. Springer Science and Business Media B.V., 2008. p. 121-143.
Research output: Chapter in book/report/conference proceeding › Contribution to book/anthology › Research › peer review
}
TY - CHAP
T1 - Nutrient and virtual water flows in traded agricultural commodities
AU - Grote, Ulrike
AU - Craswell, Eric T.
AU - Vlek, Paul L.G.
PY - 2008
Y1 - 2008
N2 - Globalization and increasing population pressure on food demand and land and water resources have stimulated interest in nutrient and virtual water flows at the international level. West Asia/North Africa (WANA), Southeast Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa are net importers not only of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK) but also of virtual water in agricultural commodities. Nevertheless, the widely recognized declines in soil fertility and problems related to water shortage continue to increase, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. The nutrients imported are commonly concentrated in the cities, creating waste disposal problems rather than alleviating deficiencies in rural soils. And also the water shortage problems continue to contribute to intensified desertification processes, which again lead to increased urbanization and thus water shortage problems in cities. Countries with a net loss of NPK and virtual water in agricultural commodities are the major food exporting countries-the USA, Australia, and some Latin American countries. Understanding the manifold factors determining the nutrient and water flows is essential. Only then can solutions be found which ensure a sustainable use of nutrients and water resources. The chapter ends by stressing the need for factoring environmental costs into the debate on nutrient and water management, and advocates more transdisciplinary research on these important problems.
AB - Globalization and increasing population pressure on food demand and land and water resources have stimulated interest in nutrient and virtual water flows at the international level. West Asia/North Africa (WANA), Southeast Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa are net importers not only of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK) but also of virtual water in agricultural commodities. Nevertheless, the widely recognized declines in soil fertility and problems related to water shortage continue to increase, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. The nutrients imported are commonly concentrated in the cities, creating waste disposal problems rather than alleviating deficiencies in rural soils. And also the water shortage problems continue to contribute to intensified desertification processes, which again lead to increased urbanization and thus water shortage problems in cities. Countries with a net loss of NPK and virtual water in agricultural commodities are the major food exporting countries-the USA, Australia, and some Latin American countries. Understanding the manifold factors determining the nutrient and water flows is essential. Only then can solutions be found which ensure a sustainable use of nutrients and water resources. The chapter ends by stressing the need for factoring environmental costs into the debate on nutrient and water management, and advocates more transdisciplinary research on these important problems.
KW - environmental degradation
KW - international trade
KW - Nutrient flows
KW - virtual water flows
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=80053297300&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/978-1-4020-6778-5_7
DO - 10.1007/978-1-4020-6778-5_7
M3 - Contribution to book/anthology
AN - SCOPUS:80053297300
SN - 9781402067778
SP - 121
EP - 143
BT - Land Use and Soil Resources
PB - Springer Science and Business Media B.V.
ER -