Agriculture is the major employment provider in India. But if the current food export policy continues India could fail to meet its water requirement in less than 300 years and could run out of available water in less than 500 years. India is amongst the world’s largest unconscious exporters of Virtual Water which is the fresh water embedded in commodities. A country that exports water intensive crops or products, is in effect exporting the water needed to grow it. India needs to consider the export of virtual water through trade of water-intensive agricultural products. This is essential to safeguard the indispensable resource like water.
Sasmitha R.*
Agricultural College & Research Institute, Vazhavachanur, Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Tamil Nadu (606 753), India
R. Arunachalam
Department of Agricultural Extension and Rural Sociology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu (641 003), India
A. Muhammad Iqshanullah
STAC, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Thirunelveli, Tamil Nadu (627 758), India
M. Nirmaladevi
Sasmitha, R., Arunachalam, R., Muhammad Iqshanullah, A., Nirmaladevi, M., 2020. Virtual Water - Does Indian Agriculture Really Need It? Biotica Research Today 2(6), 462-464.
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World Water Council (ed.), 2004. E-Conference Synthesis: Virtual Water Trade – Conscious Choices, March 2004, ISBN: 92-95017-10-2 World Wide Fund For Nature – WWF Deutschland, Frankfurt am Main (www.wwf.de)
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