The impact of local crops consumption on the water resources in Beijing

Water stress is a worldwide issue and is being exacerbated by population increase, diets shifting, climate change and so on. Consumption of goods and services by humans often puts pressure on the water resources of production sites. The impact of people’s consumption can be indexed by the indicator of water footprint. Based on numerous on-farm data, this study determined the water footprint associated with the consumption of crop products produced locally in Beijing. The total water footprint related to the consumption of local crop products in Beijing during 2009 was 23.7 × 10⁸ m³. Grey water had the largest contribution (58%), followed by green water (23%) and blue water (19%). Vegetables, maize and wheat were the largest three contributors, accounting for 53, 33 and 9% of the total water footprint. Based on the production perspective, improving water and fertilizer management has great potential for reducing the blue and grey water footprints of crops in the farming stage. However, the challenge is how to inspire farmers to participate in the activities of reducing water consumption and pollution. Increasing farmers’, especially female farmers’ access to related technologies can have a positive impact on the sustainable use of water in Beijing.