The scarcity of water poses a threat to domestic and global economic sustainability while inhibiting the operational efficiency of food and beverage industry firms. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the strategies some food and beverage industry leaders in the United States used for implementing sustainable water consumption practices to improve operational efficiency. The conceptual framework for the study was stakeholder theory. The primary data source was semistructured interviews with 4 food and beverage industry leaders in Wisconsin who have responsibility for implementing their firms' sustainability practices, and the secondary data source was corporate sustainability reports. Thematic analysis was used to analyze data, which resulted in 4 themes: efficient equipment, stakeholder and sustainability focus, water recycling, and supply chain support. The implications of this study for social change include the potential for leaders in the food and beverage industry to use findings to create more sustainable water supplies and demonstrate greater stewardship of the environment.

The United States is the world's top virtual water exporting nation, but not much is known about the country's internal virtual water flow patterns and the volumes involved. Previous studies have suggested that the import of virtual water, defined as the volume of water required to produce a commodity or service, can relieve pressure on a region's water resources. This study seeks to quantify virtual water flows among U.S. states using the water footprint and input-output analytical methods, and to compare the quantitative results to actual water use volumes in agriculture. The results showed an overall pattern where virtual water is transferred from sparsely populated states mostly in the Midwest, where the country's most fertile agricultural land is located, to the relatively dry Western states, and to the densely populated, but relatively wet coastal regions in the East of the country. For the year 2008, states used 196 Gm3 of water to produce agricultural commodities (crops and livestock) that were exported for consumption in other states. This total virtual water export volume is equivalent to 35 percent of total water withdrawals for all sectors in the U.S., or 41 percent of total rainfall evapotranspiration volume. Gross annual virtual water import volumes were 191 Gm3, giving a net interstate virtual water flow volume of 5 Gm3 for all states. The total virtual water import volume represent 34 percent of total water withdrawals in the U.S., or 40 percent of total rainfall evapotranspiration volume. The estimates in this study cover virtual water flows as a result of trade in 9 primary crops which represent 95 percent of the cultivated area harvested, and trade in nine primary animals that represent nearly 90 percent of animal establishments, and 97 percent of the total national sales in the U.S. for the year 2008. The estimates do not include virtual water flows as a result of trade in processed crop and livestock products and industrial products, which would have resulted in even higher virtual water flow volumes. Commodities making the greatest call on the nation's water resources were corn for grain, with 20 percent of total water use, and milk cows with 17 percent. The total evapotranspiration volume for the nine primary crops analyzed was 332 Gm3/yr. This consists of 93 Gm3 irrigation water (excluding 25 percent irrigation losses), and 239 Gm3 from rainfall, showing that rainfall contributed 72 percent of the total water volumes required to produce primary crops. If irrigation return flows are considered, the proportion contributed by rainfall becomes 65 percent, compared to 35 percent (128 Gm3) for irrigation water. The nine live animals for all states used 636 Gm3 in 2008, with beef cattle taking up 340 Gm3, or 53 percent of the total volumes used for animal production. Net virtual water exports in absolute terms ranged from 91 Mm3/yr in the state of Washington, to 15 Gm3/yr in Iowa, while the minimum net virtual water import value was 47 Mm3/yr in Vermont, to 11 Gm3/yr in Florida. On a per capita basis, the people of North Dakota were responsible for the largest agricultural net virtual export volume (16,011 m3/yr/ca), although the state has only 0.2 percent of the national population. Washington was responsible for the lowest per capita net virtual water export (375 m3/yr/ca). The people of Delaware (0.3 percent the total population) were responsible for the largest net virtual water imports related to agricultural commodities on a per capita basis (1511 m3/yr/ca), with Nevada ranking lowest. In absolute terms, water footprint values in relation to the 18 primary crops and livestock groups ranged from 1157 Mm3/yr in Rhode Island, to 61,471 Mm3/yr in California. Water footprint per capita values ranged from 1,083 m3/yr/capita in New York, to 4,872 m3/yr/capita in Nebraska. Both water footprint and input-output methodologies showed that virtual water transfer constitutes a substantial portion of the water balance in water scarce states such as California, where imports and exports were found to be 13 and 15 percent of total actual water use. The ratios of net virtual water import to agricultural water use volumes were very high for relatively humid states such as Rhode Island (nearly 5,000 percent) and Connecticut (more than 3,500 percent), partly showing that factors related to economic structure dominate climatic factors (water endowments) in shaping virtual water flow patterns in most U.S. states. These results suggest that rather than being the main reason behind observed virtual water flow patterns, water availability is complimentary to other factors of production, mainly the availability of suitable agricultural land. Similar to Japan or some European countries, most highly states in the eastern part of the country rely heavily on virtual water imports to meet their local agricultural consumption requirements, while their economies focus on sectors that are less land and water intensive, such as the services industry. The study also revealed that the volumes of international virtual water imports and exports are dwarfed by internal (interstate) virtual water volumes in the U.S., showing an overall preference for home consumption to international trade. The productive value of water ($/m3 used) was found to be much higher for industry and domestic sectors, in comparison to more water intensive agricultural use. While input-output analysis appears less prone to estimation errors and is less laborious to implement, it is limited in assessing the virtual water content of individual commodities when compared to water footprint analysis. However, the two alternative methodologies both produced results that are to a large extent consistent with production and consumption patterns in the U.S. The study adds new insights and information to earlier global studies that did not elaborate much on the internal virtual water flow dynamics of the world's largest virtual water exporter. The knowledge is relevant for this large country, where there are wide variations in water and other natural resource endowments between regions.

Submitted by Maria Medeiros (maria.dilva1@ufcg.edu.br) on 2018-08-15T14:25:11Z No. of bitstreams: 1 SONALY DUARTE DE OLIVEIRA - TESE (PPGMet) 2015.pdf: 5983406 bytes, checksum: 3bc9290429f37c1574ee63d2c7ff3265 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-15T14:25:11Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 SONALY DUARTE DE OLIVEIRA - TESE (PPGMet) 2015.pdf: 5983406 bytes, checksum: 3bc9290429f37c1574ee63d2c7ff3265 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-08-07 / Capes / A escassez da água para consumo humano tem aumentado em proporções alarmantes em todo o mundo. Com o aumento significativo da população, e de suas necessidades de água, iniciou à preocupação com uma possível falta do recurso, fomentando ações em face ao uso racional dos recursos hídricos. A melhoria da gestão da água desempenha um papel vital no aumento da produção de alimentos e redução da insegurança alimentar, é neste contexto que surgem os conceitos de água virtual e de pegada hídrica que pretendem, simultaneamente, dar conta de dimensões do uso da água habitualmente ignoradas e comunicar de forma eficaz e objetiva o consumo efetivo necessário para a obtenção de um produto. O objetivo deste trabalho é determinar a pegada hídrica total do consumo nacional, o fluxo de água virtual das principais commodities consumidas pelo brasileiro, bem como os índices de autossuficiência, dependência e escassez de água para as 27 commodities analisadas no estudo, de cada estado da federação e do país. O valor médio da pegada hídrica do brasileiro calculada neste estudo foi de 1619 m³/hab/ano, sendo a carne bovina a commodity com maior contribuição (21%) do total da pegada hídrica do consumo nacional. A região Nordeste é a que possui o maior volume de importação líquida de água virtual para o grupo de commodities agrícola com 2,38 Gm³/ano, apresentando uma importação líquida também para o grupo pecuário. Por outro lado, é a segunda região com maior volume de exportação líquida de água virtual para os produtos industriais com 2,24 Gm³/ano, atrás apenas da região Sudeste. Os índices utilizados na pesquisa indicam que o Brasil não é autossuficiente em todas as commodities analisadas neste estudo, entretanto para os setores agrícola, industrial e pecuário apresentou saldos positivos indicando independência dos recursos hídricos externos. Os resultados ainda indicam que o Brasil é um país exportador de água virtual com um saldo de 54,8 m³/ano, principalmente para o continente europeu que detém 41,28% de toda água virtual exportada do Brasil. / The scarcity of water for human consumption has increased at an alarming rate worldwide. With the significant increase in population, and their water needs, it began to concern about a possible shortage of the resource, promoting actions in the face of rational use of water resources. The improved water management plays a vital role in increasing food production and reducing food insecurity, it is in this context that come the concepts of virtual water and water footprint who want both to use the dimensions of the water bill usually ignored and communicate effectively and objectively the actual consumption required to obtain a product. The objective of this study is to determine the water footprint of national consumption, the virtual water flow of the main commodities consumed by the brazilian people and water scarcity, water self-sufficiency and water dependency indexes for the 27 commodities analyzed in this study, as well as for each state and country. The average brazilian water footprint is 1,619 m³/person/year. The beef cattle commodity had largest contribution (21%) of the total water footprint of national consumption. The Northeast region is the one with the largest volume of net import of virtual water for the group of agricultural commodities with Gm³ 2.38 / year, with a net import also for the livestock group. On the other hand, it is the second region with the highest volume of net export of virtual water for industrial goods with Gm³ 2.24 / year, second only to the Southeast. The indexes used in the survey indicate that Brazil is not self-sufficient in all commodities analyzed in this study, however for the agricultural, industrial and livestock sectors showed positive balances indicating independence of the external water resources. The results also indicate that Brazil is exporter of virtual water with a balance of 54.8 m³/year, mainly for the European continent which respond by 41.28% of the total virtual water exports from Brazil.

Desenvolvimento sustentável tem se tornado um dos termos mais populares na agenda de empresas e governos. Do relatório Brundtland de 1987 a 15a Conferências das Nações Unidas sobre Mudanças Climáticas – COP15 – em 2009, o tema tem recebido crescente atenção uma vez que os atuais padrões de consumo e produção são claramente insustentáveis dos pontos de vista social, econômico e ambiental. O presente trabalho revisou os principais conceitos, métodos e ferramentas ligados à inclusão de valores ecologicamente sustentáveis no projeto de produtos e em seu ciclo de vida. Além disso, buscou, com a aplicação de um método cada vez mais aceito na literatura, denominado Pegada Hídrica, investigar o impacto do setor de biocombustíveis sobre os recursos hídricos no Brasil. Ao estimar o conteúdo de água virtual presente nas fases agrícola e industrial do ciclo de vida dos biocombustíveis analisados, o presente trabalho também buscou contribuir com a produção de dados que poderão ser utilizados na construção de inventários de produtos que fazem uso de etanol e biodiesel em seu próprio ciclo de vida. Outra contribuição possível visa à economia de recursos naturais, já que dados quantitativos são necessários para permitir comparações e eventuais tomadas de decisão cujo objetivo resulta, em última análise, no aumento de produtividade e redução de custos para as empresas. / Sustainable development has become one of the most popular terms in the agenda of corporations and governments. From 1987’s Brundtland report to the 15th United Nations Conference on Climate Change – COP15 – in 2009, the topic has received increasing attention since the current productin and consumption patterns are clearly unsustainable from the social, economic and environmental point of views. This paper reviewed the main concepts, methods and tools for the inclusion of ecologically sustainable values in design and product life cycle. In addition, we attempted, by applying a method increasingly accepted in literature, called Water Footprint, to investigate the impact of the biofuels sector on water resources in Brazil. In estimating the virtual water content present in agricultural and industrial phases of the life cycle analysis of biofuels, this study also aimed to contribute to the production of data that could be used to build inventories of products that use ethanol and biodiesel in their own life cycle. Another possible contribution is aimed at saving natural resources, since quantitative data are needed to allow comparisons and possible decision-making aimed ultimately in increased productivity and reduced costs for businesses.

Desenvolvimento sustentável tem se tornado um dos termos mais populares na agenda de empresas e governos. Do relatório Brundtland de 1987 a 15a Conferências das Nações Unidas sobre Mudanças Climáticas – COP15 – em 2009, o tema tem recebido crescente atenção uma vez que os atuais padrões de consumo e produção são claramente insustentáveis dos pontos de vista social, econômico e ambiental. O presente trabalho revisou os principais conceitos, métodos e ferramentas ligados à inclusão de valores ecologicamente sustentáveis no projeto de produtos e em seu ciclo de vida. Além disso, buscou, com a aplicação de um método cada vez mais aceito na literatura, denominado Pegada Hídrica, investigar o impacto do setor de biocombustíveis sobre os recursos hídricos no Brasil. Ao estimar o conteúdo de água virtual presente nas fases agrícola e industrial do ciclo de vida dos biocombustíveis analisados, o presente trabalho também buscou contribuir com a produção de dados que poderão ser utilizados na construção de inventários de produtos que fazem uso de etanol e biodiesel em seu próprio ciclo de vida. Outra contribuição possível visa à economia de recursos naturais, já que dados quantitativos são necessários para permitir comparações e eventuais tomadas de decisão cujo objetivo resulta, em última análise, no aumento de produtividade e redução de custos para as empresas. / Sustainable development has become one of the most popular terms in the agenda of corporations and governments. From 1987’s Brundtland report to the 15th United Nations Conference on Climate Change – COP15 – in 2009, the topic has received increasing attention since the current productin and consumption patterns are clearly unsustainable from the social, economic and environmental point of views. This paper reviewed the main concepts, methods and tools for the inclusion of ecologically sustainable values in design and product life cycle. In addition, we attempted, by applying a method increasingly accepted in literature, called Water Footprint, to investigate the impact of the biofuels sector on water resources in Brazil. In estimating the virtual water content present in agricultural and industrial phases of the life cycle analysis of biofuels, this study also aimed to contribute to the production of data that could be used to build inventories of products that use ethanol and biodiesel in their own life cycle. Another possible contribution is aimed at saving natural resources, since quantitative data are needed to allow comparisons and possible decision-making aimed ultimately in increased productivity and reduced costs for businesses.

Desenvolvimento sustentável tem se tornado um dos termos mais populares na agenda de empresas e governos. Do relatório Brundtland de 1987 a 15a Conferências das Nações Unidas sobre Mudanças Climáticas – COP15 – em 2009, o tema tem recebido crescente atenção uma vez que os atuais padrões de consumo e produção são claramente insustentáveis dos pontos de vista social, econômico e ambiental. O presente trabalho revisou os principais conceitos, métodos e ferramentas ligados à inclusão de valores ecologicamente sustentáveis no projeto de produtos e em seu ciclo de vida. Além disso, buscou, com a aplicação de um método cada vez mais aceito na literatura, denominado Pegada Hídrica, investigar o impacto do setor de biocombustíveis sobre os recursos hídricos no Brasil. Ao estimar o conteúdo de água virtual presente nas fases agrícola e industrial do ciclo de vida dos biocombustíveis analisados, o presente trabalho também buscou contribuir com a produção de dados que poderão ser utilizados na construção de inventários de produtos que fazem uso de etanol e biodiesel em seu próprio ciclo de vida. Outra contribuição possível visa à economia de recursos naturais, já que dados quantitativos são necessários para permitir comparações e eventuais tomadas de decisão cujo objetivo resulta, em última análise, no aumento de produtividade e redução de custos para as empresas. / Sustainable development has become one of the most popular terms in the agenda of corporations and governments. From 1987’s Brundtland report to the 15th United Nations Conference on Climate Change – COP15 – in 2009, the topic has received increasing attention since the current productin and consumption patterns are clearly unsustainable from the social, economic and environmental point of views. This paper reviewed the main concepts, methods and tools for the inclusion of ecologically sustainable values in design and product life cycle. In addition, we attempted, by applying a method increasingly accepted in literature, called Water Footprint, to investigate the impact of the biofuels sector on water resources in Brazil. In estimating the virtual water content present in agricultural and industrial phases of the life cycle analysis of biofuels, this study also aimed to contribute to the production of data that could be used to build inventories of products that use ethanol and biodiesel in their own life cycle. Another possible contribution is aimed at saving natural resources, since quantitative data are needed to allow comparisons and possible decision-making aimed ultimately in increased productivity and reduced costs for businesses.

>Magister Scientiae - MSc / Rapidly increasing global population is adding more pressure to the agricultural sector to produce more food to meet growing demands. However the sector is already faced with a challenge to reduce freshwater utilisation as this sector is currently using approximately 70% of global water freshwater resources. In South Africa, the agriculture sector utilizes approximately 62% of freshwater resources and contributes directly about5% to the Gross Domestic Product. South Africa is a water scarce country receiving less than 500mm/year of precipitation in most parts of the country, and consequently approximately 90% of the crops are grown under irrigation. Studies have evaluated irrigation practices and crop water use in the country. However information is lacking on the full impact of South African horticultural products on freshwater resources. The water footprint concept can be used to indicate the total and source (blue/green) of water used to produce the crops. Information about water footprint (WF) can be used for identifying opportunities to reduce the water consumption associated with production of vegetables and fruits at the field to farm- gate levels, including the more effective use of rainfall (green water) as opposed to water abstracted from rivers and groundwater (Blue water). It can also be used to understand water related risks associated with the production of crops and facilitate water allocation and management at catchment/water management scale. While the potential value of water footprint information is well recognized there is still inadequate knowledge on how best to determine the water footprints of various crops within a local context. The aim of this study was to determine the water footprint and the crop water productivity of navel oranges, pink lady apples and potatoes produced with the Olifant/Doorn water management area in South Africa.The water footprint of the navel oranges, pink lady apples and potatoes assessed following the water footprint network method was 125 litres/ kg, 108 litres/kg and 65 litres/ kg respectively. The study concluded that water footprint studies should be carried out on the whole catchment instead of one farm in order to assess the sustainability of the process.

Nos últimos anos, as questões relacionadas à problemática ambiental multiplicaram sua presença na agenda do setor empresarial. Mais recentemente, observa-se o aumento do interesse das empresas pela água, recurso natural indispensável para a manutenção do equilíbrio dos ecossistemas e das atividades socioeconômicas humanas. Diante da ampliação da pressão sobre seu uso, resultado do crescimento populacional e incremento dos padrões atuais de produção e consumo, diferentes ferramentas têm sido desenvolvidas para contribuir para que o uso da água se torne mais racional e sustentável. Uma delas é a Pegada Hídrica (PH), um indicador de consumo direto e indireto da água utilizada durante a produção de bens ou serviços. A PH está relacionada com a pressão causada aos recursos hídricos pelas atividades humanas e classifica a água usada nesses processos e atividades de acordo com sua origem e impacto. Sua utilização pelo setor empresarial tem sido cada vez mais frequente. Tendo como base este contexto, este trabalho busca compreender quais são os principais motivos que tem levado as empresas a utilizarem a PH. Esta Tese, de caráter interdisciplinar, utiliza como referenciais teóricos a Teoria da Modernização Ecológica (TME), a Teoria dos Stakeholders (TS) e elementos da Nova Sociologia Econômica (NSE). Para alcançar o objetivo proposto, foram utilizados três procedimentos metodológicos: a) levantamento documental; b) revisão bibliográfica sistemática; c) estudos de caso. Os motivos que justificam a utilização da PH extraídos dos documentos analisados na revisão bibliográfica sistemática foram sistematizados e agrupados em quatro categorias que podem ser relacionadas com os referenciais teóricos utilizados. Os resultados obtidos na pesquisa indicaram que os motivos que têm levado as empresas a utilizarem a Pegada Hídrica são: 1) vantagens do método, já que permite uma visão detalhada do consumo de água em toda a cadeia produtiva (TME); 2) comunicação com stakeholders, pois reconhecem que é necessário avaliar o consumo da água em toda a sua cadeia, para atender as demandas dos diferentes stakeholders internos e externos e melhorar sua comunicação com eles (TS; NSE); 3) porque a PH pode colaborar na identificação de riscos associados à água, o que permite agir com certa antecipação a futuras regulações e contestações dos diferentes stakeholders (NSE); 4) porque os resultados dos estudos de PH podem fornecer informações que colabore na tomada de decisão para reduzir o consumo de água, estabelecer parcerias e cooperação entre os diferentes setores da sociedade (TME). Entre os motivos apontados, os mais frequentes são aqueles relacionados com as vantagens do método, o que permite uma compreensão mais ampla da pressão e impactos à água causados pelas atividades das empresas. Entretanto, considerando que sua utilização pelo setor empresarial é muito recente, pesquisas futuras necessitam ser realizadas para acompanhar a evolução das ações e do comportamento das empresas sobre a temática da água. Nesse sentido, torna-se cada vez mais urgente uma reflexão sobre a necessidade de que os limites físicos existentes e a capacidade de suporte dos ecossistemas orientem a organização das sociedades. / In recent years, several environmental issues have multiplied their presence in the corporate sectors agenda. More recently, an increased interest is observed among companies on the topic of water, an essential natural resource for the maintenance of ecosystems equilibrium and human socio-economic activities. To face the increasing pressure over the resource, resulting from the combination of population growth and changing consumption patterns, several tools have been developed. Their goal is to make corporate water consumption more rational and sustainable. One of these tools is the Water Footprint (WF), an indicator of direct and indirect water consumption in the production of goods and services. The water footprint quantifies and assesses the pressure from human activities on water resources. It classifies water resources according to their source and potential impact. Its use by the private sector is increasingly frequent. Against this context, this work aims at understanding the main reasons for companies adoption of the WF Assessment. This thesis, embracing a multidisciplinary approach, makes use of three theoretical frameworks: the Ecological Modernization Theory (EMT), Stakeholder theory (ST) and elements of the New Economic Sociology (NES). To this end, three different methodologies where used: a) document research; b) systematic literature research; c) case studies. The stated reasons for using the WF found in the literature research where classified into four categories that may be related to the theoretical frameworks presented. The results from this research identified as the main reasons under private sectors adoption of the WF. The first reason could be called advantages of this methodology, since it allows for a detailed analysis of water consumption in the supply chain, which can be analyzed using the EMT. A second reason would be related to the communication with the stakeholders. Companies recognize the need for addressing water consumption over their whole supply chain in order to meet the demands of different stakeholders and improve their communications with them. This recognition is explained by the ST and NES. Thirdly, risk assessment was is another important argument. WF assessment may help to address water-related risks, allowing them to anticipate the introduction of new regulations or contestation from different stakeholders. NES allows us to understand this reason. Lastly, companies include informed decision-making as another adoption reason. WF may be used for establishing goals and priorities for lower water consumption rates, identifying key partners and working together with key sectors of society. Ecological modernization theory contributes to explain this effect. The most frequent reasons mentioned were those related to the advantages of the methodology, arguing that the WF provides a broader understanding of pressure resulting from corporate activities. Nevertheless, considering the recent adoption by the private sector of this method, it would be important to re-evaluate the relation between water and the private sector, and with the WF in particular. In this sense, it is increasingly necessary that environmental limits and ecosystems carrying capacity guide societal organization.

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