Water Footprint of Cereals and Vegetables for the Beijing Market

摘要: Summary Beijing is situated in water-scarce northern China, where there a history of policies aimed at constraining local agricultural water use to meet the increasing urban demand. This has led change crop production and subsequent effects terms importation cereals vegetables grown other parts China. The dilemma that designed improve Beijing's resources situation may have unintended consequence stress regions. In this article, life cycle assessment approaches were used model both consumptive degradative for major consumed Beijing, enabling comparison imported supplies. Beijing region, cropping rather than intensive greenhouses could reduce blue consumption by 7,216 cubic meters per hectare year (m3 ha−1 yr−1) nitrogen pollution 45 kg ha−1 yr−1. However, depending on how food shortfall balanced food, shifts pattern potential cause either an improvement or exacerbation nationwide (e.g., −42% 4% scarcity footprint). As such, policy making regarding land needs consider wider context. likely be representative challenge facing many world's large mega-sized cities, sustainable means supply must found.