Water Quality for Reuse & Irrigation - Risk Assessment, Governance, and Implementation in Sustainable Food Systems

A sustainable food system is fundamental to human life, but population growth, climate change, and unprecedented events have made it unstable worldwide. For example, climate change has shifted water resource distribution and availability in many countries and regions, altering cropping patterns and commodity outputs. Such alterations in water resources require detailed investigation for government offices, practitioners, and farmers to respond. Therefore, looking for approaches, methods, and policies that sustain our food system has become an urgent issue in recent years. This special issue focuses on addressing crucial problems facing the world, including:(a) Climate-induced changes in precipitation have substantially altered water distribution, which subsequently increases uncertainty of surface water availability. Therefore, it is crucial to answer how the reliance on depletable groundwater and deep aquifers with unknown water quality has an impact on the sustainable food system. (b) The intensive use of non-renewable groundwater in irrigation decreases water quality and the value of return flow, but such water use is difficult or at least very costly to monitor. Thus, designing appropriate governing systems or specific cost-effective regulations is another critical issue we must address to efficiently manage water resources and balance irrigation water needs.(c) Agricultural modernization and expanded use of technology within farming have significantly increased demand for water resources, and it is likely to reduce the amount and quality of return flow back to the river and adjacent cropland. It is important to ask whether a balanced approach exists between technological progress and food supply, and under what conditions such a balance can be achieved.(d) Numerous agricultural and water-use policies have been designed, most of which focus on water quantity instead of water quality. Since water resources are classified as trans-boundary resource, it is crucial to investigate whether these policies are effective in satisfying water use across sectors, maintaining desirable downstream water quality, and sustaining regional food systems.Thus, this Special Issue aims to document the full economic and environmental benefits and prospects of sustainable food systems today and in the future, amid an expanding array of agricultural, water resource, and environmental policies. The targeted audience includes both academic researchers and industrial practitioners. Topics of interest include (but are not limited to) the following:  Changes in food production costs and production possibilities under uncertain water distribution and water quality facing farmers. The formulation and examination of the water–agriculture–environment nexus, and the investigation of the development of sustainable food supply chains. The sectoral equilibrium and development efficiency assessment of agricultural production efficiency, water resource allocation, and output stability.  The effects of alternative and/or resource-competitive promotion policies and government interventions on sustaining desirable water quality in irrigation systems and return flows. Case studies investigating the challenges, risks, and opportunities associated with changing current agricultural practices of a specific country or region. Topic editors: Chih-Chun Kung, Shih-Chih Chen Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/80128/water-quality-for-reuse-irrigation---risk-assessment-governance-and-implementation-in-sustainable-food-systems