CALCULATION OF THE VIRTUAL WATER FOOTPRINT IN THE COFFEE PRODUCTION AND PROCESSING OF (Coffea arabica L.) IN HUATUSCO, MEXICO, USING CROPWAT 8.0 SOFTWARE

Abstract

Background: The use and expenditure of water within agriculture is of vital importance, especially in coffee farming, therefore it is very important to know that the virtual water in the production of coffee beans, as well as in the process of wet processing (transformation of cherry coffee to dry parchment coffee), so far there is no data on the use of virtual water in coffee production in the study region. Objective: To determine the virtual water (green and gray) calculation of the virtual footprint by means of the FAO program CROPWAT 8.0 and the calculation of water expenditure in coffee mills in the region of Huatusco, Veracruz. Methodology: The program CROPWAT 8.0 was obtained, and normal climatological data were reviewed to obtain the data and to be able to make the calculations to obtain the virtual footprint, subsequently the water expenditure was measured in five wet coffee mills, for this purpose the mills were visited during the harvest season and the measurements could be made. Results: A total green and gray virtual footprint of 977.61 m3/kg of coffee produced in the field production process was estimated. In relation to the virtual water expenditure in the wet coffee mills where water expenditure was measured: two of the five mills analyzed had the following data: The third mill reached an expense of 566 m3/kg of processed cherry coffee and the five mill had an amount of 162 m3/kg of processed cherry coffee and an average of 155.13 m3/kg of processed coffee. In total, the virtual footprint obtained: green, gray and water consumption in the processing process was 1132.73 m3/kg of parchment coffee. The blue virtual footprint was considered zero since irrigation is not used in the region for coffee production. Implications: The data found are the pioneers in the calculation of the virtual footprint of the species (Coffea arabica L.) more studies on this subject are needed in the region which will raise awareness about the virtual footprint generated in the coffee production and processing process, as well as proposed alternatives for a more sustainable use. Conclusions: The virtual footprint obtained was high in the study region and like studies carried out in other countries, which indicates that there is an awareness of how much water is used in the production and processing of coffee, as well as its impact in the short, medium and long term.