This book pursues a comprehensive multidisciplinary approach in order to analyze the
relationship between water and food security. It demonstrates that most of the world's
economies lack sufficient water resources to secure their populations' food requirements and
are thus virtual importers of water. One of the most inspiring cases which this book is rooted
in is Italy: the third largest net virtual water importer on earth. The book also shows that
the sustainability of water depends on the extent to which societies recognize and take into
account its value and contribution to agricultural production. Due to the large volumes of
water required for food production water and food security are in fact inextricably linked.
Contributions from leading international experts and scholars in the field use the concepts of
virtual water and water footprints to explain this relationship with an eye to the empirical
examples of wine tomato and pasta production in Italy. This book provides a valuable resource
for all researchers professionals policymakers and everyone else interested in water and food
security.
