Virtual water
"Sometimes the easiest way to trade water is inside a tomato." What does that mean and why is it important?
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I don't think the question is worded very well: the important thing about a tomatoe or pound of wheat is not how much water they have in themselves, as the right answer implies, but how much water consumption they replace in country X when delivered to that country.
Absolutly agree, I live in the most arid city in the world, never rains in Arica and government spend lots of money in hidraulic investment for agricultors who are whealty and political influencers, in a similar fashion as Saudi Arabia we export tomatoes in winter to south of Chile but we are really exporting water, not only the water contained in tomatoes which is few, but the much bigger amount used to irrigate during months. The concept of "virtual water" is super and applies very well to a misuse of water in my hometown
Noting, of course, that it's NOT efficient to export food when the water used in its production comes from unsustainable sources. It's not absolute water supply that matters, but relative water scarcity. Tony Allen (who coined the term virtual water) says a lot here: http://www.aguanomics.com/2012/06/water-chat-tony-allen.html
