Evaluation of food processing with the management of food, water, and energy nexus in Baghdad, Iraq

Abstract

Global forecasts show that demand for freshwater, energy, and food will increase in the coming decades due to water scarcity, technological advancement, resource depletion, growing demand for food and diverse diets, population growth, economic development, climate change, and urbanization (Norouzi & Kalantari, 2020). Currently, agriculture, with a consumption of about 70% of the total freshwater resources in the world, is the largest consumer of water (Barreira et al., 2021;Afshar et al., 2021;Molajou et al., 2021a). Water is used to produce agricultural products and the entire food and agricultural supply chain, as well as to produce, transport, and use all forms of energy. At the same time, food production and supply chains consume about 30% of the world's total energy. This situation is expected to intensify in the near future, as it is predicted that by 2050, due to a greater supply of nutrients and better quality, 60% more food will be produced (Burzyńska, 2019;Molajou et al., 2021b). 30 to 40% of the world's food waste wastes water and energy resources by endangering the world's food security. While competition in obtaining these resources is becoming a major issue. Therefore, the existence of Nexus thinking can be considered as the key to reducing food waste. The key to Nexus thinking is the interaction between WEF (Water, energy, and food) security. Water, energy, and food systems are so interconnected that acting on one often affects the other (Elagib & Al-Saidi, 2020).Therefore, integrated methods for analysis, planning and decision making must be used. Strong correlation and connection between water resources-energy-food and their close relationship with environmental issues, climate change, economic, social, policy, etc. requires the cooperation of stakeholders, so that systematic management among these sectors in order to Achieving Nexus goals and sustainable development is essential. Planning and policy-making between the departments and organizations involved to achieve a common ground requires creating a dialogue between stakeholders and organizing conflicting goals in order to create cooperation and reduce interventions (Al-Saidi & Hussein, 2021;Qian & Liang, 2021). Promoting Nexus thinking as an approach to developing innovative ideas, problem analysis, solution development, lifestyle paradigm shift towards