| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | The Palgrave Encyclopaedia of Urban and Regional Futures |
| Editors | Robert Brears |
| Place of Publication | Cham |
| Publisher | Palgrave Macmillan |
| Pages | 1-24 |
| Number of pages | 24 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9783030518127 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9783030877446 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2022 |
Abstract
Ever since the introduction of the concept of the Water-Energy-Food Nexus in 2011, interlinkages between water, energy and food supply have gained increasing attention in scholarly articles. This attention is fully justified, given the many connections between the need to feed another 2 billion people, the need to adapt to climate change and the need to achieve a successful energy transition. However, so far, the outcomes of the Water-Energy-Food Nexus research are not concrete enough to guide actual policy making. This lack of concrete results applies not only to economy-wide research but also to sectoral studies, including those on crop farming.
Therefore, we present in this chapter the structure of a farm optimization model as tool of analysis for assessing the reaction of a ‘representative’ farmer in a specific region to changing conditions of water availability, energy supply and food markets. Model simulations can be used as input for policy discussions; specifically, it has been designed to study the impact of water shortages and water salinity on food production and farm incomes, while it also accounts for the possibility for farmers to install solar panels on their land. Although the application discusses the Jordan River Basin, the approach is applicable also to other regions, with their own characteristics and own policy choices.
The model is rooted in micro-economic theory, but relies heavily also on agronomic knowledge and process-based data of, for example, irrigation capacities and solar panel yields. In the model, the farmer makes an optimal choice of competing cropping and solar panel activities, at given quality and quantity of land and water resources, technical constraints and market prices.
Therefore, we present in this chapter the structure of a farm optimization model as tool of analysis for assessing the reaction of a ‘representative’ farmer in a specific region to changing conditions of water availability, energy supply and food markets. Model simulations can be used as input for policy discussions; specifically, it has been designed to study the impact of water shortages and water salinity on food production and farm incomes, while it also accounts for the possibility for farmers to install solar panels on their land. Although the application discusses the Jordan River Basin, the approach is applicable also to other regions, with their own characteristics and own policy choices.
The model is rooted in micro-economic theory, but relies heavily also on agronomic knowledge and process-based data of, for example, irrigation capacities and solar panel yields. In the model, the farmer makes an optimal choice of competing cropping and solar panel activities, at given quality and quantity of land and water resources, technical constraints and market prices.