An Economic Study of the Water Footprint of the Most Important Strategic Crops in Iraq

Water is mostly used in agricultural production. It is anticipated that future dietary changes, economic growth, and population expansion will raise the water demand. An overview of the water footprint and sustainability of crop production (wheat, barley, rice, and maize) for the years 2000–2022 is offered in this paper. The study concluded that the averages of the total water footprint of the study crops ranged respectively (11.00, 2.8211, 17.42, 2.71) billion m3, and the average proportion of the researched crops’ reliance on outside water resources is (20.25, 0.0044, 77.74, 0.0578)%, while the average proportion of the crops’ self-sufficiency in local water resources is (79.75, 100.00, 22.26, 99.94)%. The average unit productivity also reached irrigation water, respectively (0.00099, 0.0004, 0.0004, 0.0004). The investigation resulted in a set of suggestions. The grain crops studied are classified as water-consuming crops. Therefore, their water footprint is fairly large, and they exert a major strain on water resources, especially considering their widespread use. Based on this result, several suggestions were offered, the most significant of which is the need to calculate the water footprint of different crops in order to achieve self-sufficiency in local water resources and reduce reliance on foreign water resources.