Water is a prerequisite for life on our planet. Due to climate change and pollution, water availability for agricultural production, industry and households is increasingly put at risk. With agriculture being the largest water user as well as polluter worldwide, we estimate anthropogenic nitrogen and phosphorus emissions to fresh water related to global crop production at a spatial resolution level of 5 by 5 arc min and calculate the grey water footprints (GWF) related to EU-27's crop production. A multiregional input-output model is used to trace the the GWF embodied in the final consumption of crop products by the EU-27. The total GWF related to crop production in the EU-27 in 2007 was 1 × 1012 m3/year. Spain contributed about 40% to this total. Production of cereals (wheat, rice and other cereals) take the largest share, accounting for 30% of the GWF, followed by fruits (17%), vegetables (14%), and oil crops (13%). The total agricultural GWF of the EU-27 related to crop consumption was 1830 billion m3/year, which is 3700 m3/year per capita on average. Overall, the EU-27 was able to externalize about 41% of the GWF to the rest of the world through imports of crop products.

[pt] O crescimento da população mundial junto de mudanças no estilo de vida resulta em uma crescente demanda por culturas de alimentos e energia. O Brasil tem aumentado cada vez mais a produção e o fornecimento destas culturas para outras partes do mundo. O Cerrado tornou-se o centro da indústria de soja do Brasil. A savana natural foi substituída pelo cultivo de monoculturas que estão associadas ao uso intensivo de fertilizantes e pesticidas sintéticos. Este estudo determina em que medida a aplicação de agroquímicos no cultivo de soja contribui para a poluição dos corpos hídricos no Cerrado. Como medida para quantificar este impacto, a pegada hídrica cinza (GWF) do cultivo da soja em uma fazenda típica no município de Correntina-BA foi calculada para 5 anos de cultivo. O poluente mais significativo para todos os anos foi o pesticida 2,4-D. O GWF do cultivo da soja para o estudo de caso no período variou de 7.661 a 13.587 m3 por hectare e 2.441 a 7.651 m3 por tonelada de soja. O valor médio do nível de poluição da água (WPL) associado com a produção desta cultura na bacia hidrográfica foi de 48,6 por cento com valores que variaram de 36 por cento a 83 por cento. Os valores de GWF e WPL calculados mostram uma grande variação entre os diferentes períodos. O GWF em 2013/2014 teve valores discrepantes sendo 43,6 por cento maior do que os valores em 2010/2011. A diferença é devida principalmente a uma maior aplicação do pesticida, de 0,80 kg/ha para 1,42 kg/ha. O WPL em 2013/2014 chegou a 83 por cento. Os resultados indicam que com a tendência de crescimento da agricultura de grande escala na região a poluição por agrotóxicos dissolvidos dos corpos hídricos se intensificará a tal ponto que é provável que viole em breve o padrão de qualidade de água local. / [en] The growing world population, coupled with changes in lifestyle, result in an increasing demand for food, feed and energy crops. Brazil is increasingly producing and supplying these crops for other parts of the world. The Cerrado has become the centre of Brazil s soybean industry. The natural savannah has been replaced by crop monocultures which are associated with intensive use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. This study determines to which extent the application of agrochemicals in the cultivation of soybean contributes to the pollution of local river basins in the Cerrado. As a measure to quantify this impact, the grey water footprint (GWF) of soybean cultivation in a typical farm in the municipality of Correntina-BA is calculated for 5 cropping years. The most significant pollutant for all years was the pesticide 2,4-D. The GWF of soybean cultivation for the case study in the period ranged from 7,661 to 13,587 m3 per hectare and 2,441 to 7,651 m3 per tonne of soybean. The average water pollution level (WPL) associated with the production of this crop at river basin level was 48.6 percent. The average water pollution level (WPL) associated with the production of this crop at river basin level was 48.6 percent with values ranging from 36 percent to 83 percent. The calculated GWFs and WPLs show a large variation among different cropping seasons. The GWF in 2013/2014 had discrepant values, being 43.6 percent higher than the value in 2010/2011. This difference is mainly due to a higher application of the pesticide, from 0.80 kg/ha to 1.42 kg/ha. The WPL in 2013/2014 reached 83 percent . The results indicate that following the local trend of further intensification of large scale agriculture, the pollution of local water bodies with dissolved agrochemicals will increase to the point that it is likely to soon violate the local water quality standards.