Open AccessThe global value of water in agriculture
Author(s) -
Paolo D’Odorico,
Davide Danilo Chiarelli,
Lorenzo Rosa,
Alfredo Bini,
David Zilberman,
Maria Cristina Rulli
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
proceedings of the national academy of sciences of the united states of america
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1091-6490
pISSN - 0027-8424
DOI - 10.1073/pnas.2005835117
Subject(s) - irrigation , valuation (finance) , agriculture , business , agribusiness , negotiation , water conservation , value (mathematics) , farm water , water resource management , agricultural economics , environmental science , geography , economics , computer science , finance , agronomy , machine learning , biology , archaeology , political science , law
Significance Water’s ability to generate value in irrigated agriculture remains poorly quantified at the global scale. The valuation of irrigation water is an important piece of information not only for agribusiness investors interested in the acquisition of land and water entitlements but also for farmers and rural communities that are negotiating with such investors. To make an informed decision about the acquisition or relinquishment of water rights or about investments in irrigation infrastructure there is a need for a better understanding of the value generated by irrigation water in agriculture using methods that rely on globally available data. This study provides a high-resolution global assessment of irrigation water value as a function of crop type and geographic location.