Tue, January 20, 2015 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS RESEARCH LABORATORY (AERL). Research Mentorship Program talk
Speaker:
Mark Johnson, Associate Professor, Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability, and Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, UBC
Mark Johnson is the Principal Investigator of the Peter Wall Research Mentorship project, "Urban Agriculture in Vancouver, BC: An Integrated Assessment of Local Food Production Potential and Water Use Implications”.
Abstract:
Agricultural production is currently estimated to represent 92% of the total water footprint of humanity, and the demand for more water-efficient production strategies is increasing in both traditional rural and urban agriculture contexts. In this talk, I will report on research conducted in urban and rural food production systems (Vancouver BC and Mato Grosso Brazil) to outline actual and virtual water scenarios in agriculture, focusing on the implications of water use for food production under future climate conditions, population projections, and land use management strategies. I will introduce the CityCrop model that we developed to evaluate urban food production potential and the water use implications of urban farming. The CityCrop model has potential applications in municipal land use planning for runoff, food security, and management of water supplies and urban green space. For Vancouver, we found that water requirements for commercial vegetable production can be less than those necessary for urban lawn management, although post-harvest washing of produce can heighten overall demand for water in urban settings. In a rural context, our new research project in Mato Grosso evaluates opportunities for improving soil water retention to increase yields in rain-fed crop production on extensive sandy soils. Mato Grosso is already a globally significant foodshed and an important node in the global virtual water trade network. This research seeks to improve the resilience of crop production to impacts on rainfall patterns due to global climate change. Overall, this talk will highlight the intersection of food security and water security within the context of ongoing calls for increasing global food production.
Date: Tuesday, January 20, 2015
Time: 12:30 pm - 1:30 pm
Location: AERL Theatre (room 120), 2202 Main Mall, Vancouver