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Water resource decoupling in the MENA through food trade as a mechanism for circumventing national water scarcity

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  • Michael Gilmont

Abstract

This paper explores the trends driving the growing demand for food imports to the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region through the lens of ‘decoupling’. The analysis deploys a water-specific model of the general idea of resource decoupling to analyse the role and potential of food and virtual water trade in alleviating national and regional water limits. Decoupling theorises the breaking of the link between economic and population growth and need for water demand for domestic food production. A key means of reducing pressure on scarce water resources of a growing population is to increase the proportion of food sourced from abroad. This strategy has been strongly embraced politically in a number of MENA economies facing a combination of water and labour shortage. Food imports provide a politically silent mechanism to achieve national food security, and generate significant markets for food-exporting, water abundant, economies including those in the tropics. This paper combines FAO Food Balance data with Water Footprint data to reveal how virtual water flows interact with food import tonnages to enhance or retard national decoupling based on food trade. The analysis reveals that much MENA water is directed at crops adapted to the MENA climate. However, the analysis reveals significant potential for the import of large quantities of MENA water needs from more water abundant countries through supply of staple crops. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht and International Society for Plant Pathology 2015

Suggested Citation

  • Michael Gilmont, 2015. "Water resource decoupling in the MENA through food trade as a mechanism for circumventing national water scarcity," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 7(6), pages 1113-1131, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:ssefpa:v:7:y:2015:i:6:p:1113-1131
    DOI: 10.1007/s12571-015-0513-2
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Steinberger, Julia K. & Roberts, J. Timmons, 2010. "From constraint to sufficiency: The decoupling of energy and carbon from human needs, 1975-2005," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 70(2), pages 425-433, December.
    2. Dennis Wichelns, 2010. "Virtual Water: A Helpful Perspective, but not a Sufficient Policy Criterion," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 24(10), pages 2203-2219, August.
    3. de Fraiture, Charlotte & Cai, Ximing & Amarasinghe, Upali A. & Rosegrant, Mark W. & Molden, David J., 2004. "Does international cereal trade save water? The impact of virtual water trade on global water use," IWMI Research Reports 92832, International Water Management Institute.
    4. Roberto Roson & Martina Sartori, 2010. "Water Scarcity and Virtual Water Trade in the Mediterranean," Working Papers 2010_08, Department of Economics, University of Venice "Ca' Foscari".
    5. de Fraiture, Charlotte & Cai, X & Amarasinghe, Upali & Rosegrant, M. & Molden, David, 2004. "Does international cereal trade save water?: the impact of virtual water trade on global water use," IWMI Research Reports H035342, International Water Management Institute.
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    Cited by:

    1. Catharien Terwisscha van Scheltinga & Angel Miguel Garcia & Gert-Jan Wilbers & Hanneke Heesmans & Rutger Dankers & Eric Smaling, 2021. "Unravelling the interplay between water and food systems in arid and semi-arid environments: the case of Egypt," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 13(5), pages 1145-1161, October.
    2. Yi Li & Yan Luo & Yingzi Wang & Laili Wang & Manhong Shen, 2017. "Decomposing the Decoupling of Water Consumption and Economic Growth in China’s Textile Industry," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(3), pages 1-17, March.
    3. Angela Cheptea & Catherine Laroche-Dupraz, 2019. "Is irrigation driven by the economic value of internationally traded agricultural products?," Working Papers hal-02154603, HAL.
    4. Angela Cheptea & Catherine Laroche-Dupraz, 2018. "The water productivity of internationally traded agricultural products," Post-Print hal-01964295, HAL.
    5. Catherine Laroche-Dupraz & Angela Cheptea, 2021. "Is irrigation driven by the price of internationally traded agricultural products?," Post-Print hal-03227465, HAL.
    6. Asma Souissi & Nadhem Mtimet & Chokri Thabet & Talel Stambouli & Ali Chebil, 2019. "Impact of food consumption on water footprint and food security in Tunisia," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 11(5), pages 989-1008, October.

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