Water Inequity in Global Agricultural Trade.
UN report warns: international food trade diverts the world’s water resources towards wealthier nations.
A new study by the United Nations University finds that global agricultural trade affects water access, alleviating water scarcity for high-income populations while intensifying shortages for low-income communities.
International agricultural trade plays a central role in balancing global food supply and demand. Yet, with every shipment of crops crossing borders, the water used to produce them is virtually transferred as well, reshaping the distribution of water resources worldwide.
A new report by the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH) reveals that virtual water transfers through food trades generally reduce water scarcity for much of the global population, while at the same time deepening shortages for millions of others, particularly those in low-income communities.
