Energy and water footprints of cereal production in China

Abstract

The growing demand for water, energy, and food caused by rapid population and economy growth, has posed severe challenges worldwide. Considering cereal is one of the vital foods and China is the principal cereal-producing country, this study selected cereal as the center and conducted energy and water footprint analysis of cereal production in China. The production of three main cereals (i.e., wheat, maize, and rice) and their potential environmental footprint in China in the last decade were analyzed, while the spatial variation and key factor in 2017 are explored. Results showed that the correlation between water footprint (i.e., human health and ecosystem quality) and energy footprint (i.e., resources) was strong because fertilizer and diesel production were the key processes for both footprint results. The proportions of the three crops on energy footprint impacts were similar, while the water footprint of rice production was significant higher than that of maize and wheat production. The most serious environmental impacts were congregated in the North China Plain and Northeast Plain. By using decomposition analysis, the agricultural economic effect is found to be the largest driving factor in promoting the growth of environmental burdens during the study period. Effective measures including optimization of plantation structure, transformation of agricultural economy, and implementation of rational agricultural management practices (e.g., scientific fertilization, controlling diesel consumption, and development of water-saving agriculture) are suggested for achieving resource-saving and ecofriendly agricultural development.