Key Food Exporting & Importing Nations

Summary

In 2020 the USA, Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, France, and Russia, were responsible for more than 50% of the global exports in soybeans, maize, wheat, rapeseed, chicken and beef. Of the eight major food items examined in this study, meat had the highest market value by weight, followed by soybeans and rapeseed. It was shown that meat production by weight is far more water intensive than crop production. Beef requires 10 times more water than any other crop. Rice, which is not a major export item in the seven selected countries has the next highest water requirements followed by soybeans and rapeseed. There are large differences in water requirements for various food items across different countries. With increasing water shortages in many parts of the world it is imperative to examine the water resources required for food exports.

Of the seven countries that are responsible for the bulk of the global food export, Canada has likely the greatest potential to increase production. This is based on the per capita arable land base and the available renewable water resources. Australia has the largest amount of arable land but among the lowest annually renewable water resources. Similarly, the USA and France have relatively low per capita indicators in both arable land and renewable water sources.

Of the seven major exporters the USA and Brazil have the highest virtual water export values, with beef, chicken and soybeans making up the bulk of the exported virtual water. The value of the virtual water in $/m3 exported showed that water for maize, chicken and pork from France and Canada reached the highest values, while rapeseed and wheat had the lowest values.

Canada's global food strategy is discussed in the next chapter and two case studies will be presented to show what the adaptation strategy is for food supply in China, and what the challenges are for the Middle East and North Africa region.This analysis shows that the global food export market is highly vulnerable for the eight food commodities considered in this study. Since the bulk of food export production is concentrated in these seven countries any severe climatic event in any one of these countries will have a major effect on the global food supply. There is considerable evidence that the global food supply is becoming more problematic. Examples will be presented in the climate chapter to show the volatility of the global food market by documenting the impact of major climatic event in different exporting countries over the past 10 years. It will also be shown that increased climatic warming, increased climatic variability, population growth, and available water supplies will become the greatest challenges in order to meet the global food supply by 2050.

The data shows that the global food export market is highly vulnerable for the eight food commodities considered in this study. Since the bulk of food export production is concentrated in these seven countries any severe climatic event in any one of these countries will have a major effect on the global food supply.
There is considerable evidence that the global food supply is becoming more problematic. Examples will be presented in the climate chapter to show the volatility of the global food market by documenting the impact of major climatic event in different exporting countries over the past 10 years. It will also be shown that increased climatic warming, increased climatic variability, population growth, and available water supplies will become the greatest challenges in order to meet the global food supply by 2050.