Unique water scarcity footprints and water risks in US meat and ethanol supply chains identified via subnational commodity flows
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 15548637 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Kate A Brauman (0000-0002-8099-285X, University of Minnesota, corresponding author), Andrew L Goodkind (0000-0003-4461-5026, University of New Mexico), Tae‐Gon Kim (0000-0002-7931-6627, University of Minnesota), Rylie E O Pelton (0000-0002-6015-2263, University of Minnesota), Jennifer Schmitt (0000-0002-5427-5208, University of Minnesota), Timothy M Smith (0000-0002-0479-4261, University of Minnesota) |
| Year | 2020 |
| Volume | 15 |
| Issue | 10 |
| Pages | 105018-105018 |
| Publication date | 2020-06-08 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Environmental Research Letters (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1748-9326 • E-ISSN: 1748-9326 |
| Publisher | IOP Publishing (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1088/1748-9326/ab9a6a |
| OpenAlex | W3035607637 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 3 |
| References cited | 32 |
Within the US, supply chains aggregate agricultural production and associated environmental impacts in specific downstream products and companies. This is particularly important for meat and ethanol, which consume nearly half of global crop production as feed and feedstocks. However, lack of data has thus far limited the ability to trace inputs and impacts of commodity crops through domestic supply chains. For the first time, we use a commodity-flow model to link spatially distributed water resource impacts of corn and soy to individual meat and ethanol processing facilities. This creates transparency in the supply chains, illuminating substantial variation in embedded irrigation water and water scarcity footprints among meat and ethanol processed at different facilities. By calculating unique blue water scarcity footprints for end-products, we show that beef processed in Iowa or Illinois, for example, has fewer water impacts than chicken processed in California and pork processed in Oklahoma. We find that over 75% of irrigated feed embedded in meat is consolidated in six companies and 39% of irrigated feedstock for ethanol is consolidated in five companies, with potentially negative impacts to supply costs and risk management. This subnational variation and consolidation of impacts in key supply chains creates opportunities for producers and consumers of agriculture-based products to make management, investment, and sustainability decisions about those products
Agricultural economics · Agriculture · Agronomy · Biofuel · Business · Commodity · Corn ethanol · Economics · Ethanol fuel · Natural resource economics · Scarcity · Supply chain · Waste management · Water scarcity · Water supply · Water use · Agriculture Sustainability and Environmental Impact · Environmental Impact and Sustainability · Environmental Science · Food Waste Reduction and Sustainability · Environmental Engineering
A Global Assessment of the Water Footprint of Farm Animal Products
The paradox of irrigation efficiency
Land, irrigation water, greenhouse gas, and reactive nitrogen burdens of meat, eggs, and dairy production in the United States
The green, blue and grey water footprint of crops and derived crop products
Solutions for a cultivated planet
Reducing food’s environmental impacts through producers and consumers
Water depletion
Improvements in crop water productivity increase water sustainability and food security—a global analysis
Redefining agricultural yields
Food flows between counties in the United States
Food and sustainability
| Unique citing works | 3 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,6 |
| Citation span | 2021 - 2022 (2) |
| Citation velocity | historical |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 3 |