© Svetlin/Adobe Stock Authored by HFFA Research for the second volume in its series on the societal value of productive agriculture, this study assesses the role of water use in EU crop production, analysing virtual water trade and water productivity across eight key arable crops.
Agriculture accounts for up to 70% of global freshwater consumption and faces mounting pressure from population growth, climate change, and competing water demands. In the EU, the sustainability of water use in agriculture is increasingly scrutinised due to concerns over ecosystem health, groundwater depletion, and food system resilience.
The research quantifies the EU’s virtual water trade (VWT) balance—measuring the volume of water embedded in imported and exported agricultural goods—and evaluates water productivity (WP) across major crop types, including wheat, maize, oilseeds, sugar crops, and pulses. It further models the impact of shifting from high to low input farming systems on overall water use and trade.
The EU is a net importer of agricultural water, virtually importing over 100 billion m³ annually, mostly through rain-fed crop imports.
Regionally, the EU exports virtual water to the MENA region and parts of Europe, while importing from many other global regions.
Wheat and cereal production represent areas of comparative water efficiency, making the EU a net exporter of water embedded in these crops.
Transitioning to low input farming would reduce domestic water use but increase virtual water imports to nearly 250 billion m³—more than double current levels.
High input farming systems in the EU save the equivalent of eight times Germany’s total household water consumption annually.
