Exporting virtual water: Water footprint in agribusiness of the papaya produced in Ceará, Brazil

Abstract

Virtual water is the volume of hydric resources directly and indirectly used for manufacturing and services. High water consumption in agricultural activities brings about the need to estimate demands to construct adequate measurements for management. Water footprint ( WF) is a multidimensional index that evaluates the use of drinking water. It does not refer merely to the direct use of hydric resources by a producer or consumer, but also to indirect usage. Current analysis quantifies and compares green, blue, grey and total WF in the production of papaya in the 22 most important municipalities in the state of Ceará, between 1974 and 2016. Variations in geographic space in Ceará and in structural characteristics of WF were analyzed. Total WF of papaya provides a yearly average of 535.63 m3/t. Total FW was lowest in the municipality of Aracati and greatest in Tianguá. Green, blue and grey FW represent respectively 17.02%, 77.06% and 5.92% of total FW. The state of Ceará exported 328.47 x 106 m3 of virtual water within the papaya production chain between 1997 and 2016. Analyses of spatial arrangements of FW components may be a help in the choice, in decision-taking and the best sites of papaya production among the municipalities. Understanding exchange processes with virtual water may improve public policies for the management of water in the semi-arid region.