Co-Optimizing Solutions for Water and Food – Scoping the Nexus Challenges in the Agro-Sector and finding Scalable Business Solutions

• Main Authors: Gain Animesh K., Kumar M. Dinesh, Cramwinckel Joppe, Oesterlé Julie
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: De Gruyter 2015-01-01
• Series: Change and Adaptation in Socio-Ecological Systems
• Subjects: Nexus; business solutions; co-optimization; agricultural sector
• Online Access: http://www.degruyter.com/view/j/cass.2015.2.issue-1/cass-2015-0018/cass-2015-0018.xml?format=INT

The Water-Energy-Food (WEF) Nexus approach has an opportunity to create sustainable business solutions, especially in the agricultural sector. This report provides a clear understanding of challenges for the most promising and scalable solutions to the interconnected water, energy and food/feed/fiber problems, allowing combined co-optimization. Searching solutions for nexus challenges, a model based assessment of WEF nexus at global scale and a theoretical perspective of integrating economic and ecological objectives are presented. This study explores the opportunities for the global community to develop robust partnerships and cross sector collaboration to foster water security and increase resource use efficiency, particularly in agriculture and food industry, as part of corporate environmental and financial performance goals.