3.4.1 ImprovingWater Use Efficiency for a Sustainable
Bio-economy Sector
Resource efficiency represents one of the main challenges of our society. A resource-efficient
economy aims at the sustainable use of natural resources with a view to meeting the needs of
a growing population within the ecological limits of a finite planet, while minimising impacts on
the environment. The purpose of resource efficiency is to create more with less and to deliver
greater value with less input. Resource-efficiency approaches applied to water are particularly
needed within the European agricultural and forestry sectors, currently challenged by the de-
velopment of the bio-based economy. These sectors account for the majority of global fresh-
water withdrawals, and are responsible for the vast majority of societal consumptive water use
in Europe. This is particularly important since the most relevant competitor in terms of con-
sumptive water use is the environment. Even small improvements in water productivity can re-
sult in substantial water savings. Resource efficiency is required in both rain-fed and irrigated
systems, since evapotranspiration is the largest consumptive water loss throughout Europe.
At the policy level, resource efficiency constitutes one of the flagship initiatives of the Europe
2020 Strategy, the EU’s growth strategy for a ‘smart, inclusive and sustainable economy’.
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Research is needed in a variety of disciplines. Crop agronomy and forestry science will support
the assessment and minimisation of water use. Plant-breeding will produce varieties more
adapted to local water conditions and result in higher water-use efficiency. Irrigation science
and technology needs to be developed to optimise water-application practices with state-of-
the art conveyance and on-farm equipment.
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