Embodied or Virtual water
National Geographic has a great flash interface with an extensive menu of embodied water data.
Embodied or virtual water refers, in the context of trade, to the water used in the production of a good or service. (Wikipedia)
quick references:
- 1 kg wheat: costs 1,300 L water
- 1 kg eggs: costs 3,300 L water
- 1 kg rice: costs 3,400 L water
- 1 kg beef: costs 15,500 L water
- 1 pair of jeans (1000g) costs 10,850 L water
- 1 cotton T shirt (500g) costs 4,100 L water
- 1 disposable diaper (75g) costs 810 L water
- 1 bed sheet (900g) costs 9,750 L water
Long story short, this means that it turns out, if you're water poor, although it's not (yet) cost effective to ship water from elsewhere in most cases, importing things like wheat and other crops and goods which require lots of water to create can be a way to preserve the water you DO have for other immediate, more primary uses.
end of p24: 3 of top 10 food exporters are water-scarce countries (p35 - …& 3 of top 10 importers are water rich!)